Moon Senshi
by Gemini14
Summary: A new threat has come to earth and Sailor Moon and her comrades may not be enough to stop it! Can the Constellation Senshi even out the odds set against them?
1. Part One

Moon Senshi

A dark figure emerges from the darkness, his eyes glowing red from between the eye slits of his black metal mask. 

"Soon it will be time. The earth shall belong to the darkness that is the Dark Kingdom…………………….Parilite." the evil one murmurs, as a woman in a gray uniform appears behind him. 

"Yes, my lord?" the woman asks, bowing gracefully before her master. 

"Let's begin our invasion now. I can wait no longer." The evil one said, grinning evilly beneath the mask he wore. 

"Certainly my lord. Your wish is my command…………………….Deathstrike-sama." Parilite said, with a sneer, before disappearing in a puff of pale blue smoke. 

"Your efforts to save this planet are futile, Eric. It's as good as mine already! This planet, and your Cosmic Crystal, are mine!" Deathstrike growled, turning to a figure that was suspended from the ceiling by his arms. The figure did not reply, but Deathstrike could tell that the other man's sapphire blue eyes were boring holes into him, his eyes speaking louder than any words could. Ignoring the silent threat, Deathstrike started laughing and turned his back on the silent man. 

"_This planet will soon belong to the Dark Kingdom. I will pick up where Beryl left off._" Deathstrike thought, his scarred face smiling beneath his heavy metal mask as he looked out at the earth. 

TOKYO

MORNING

Kurishi groaned as Risa and Anna shook her awake. "Time to get up, Kurishi-chan, it's time to go to school! You don't want to be late again, do you?" Risa asked, standing up straight and putting her hands on her hips. 

"No……………but Ri-chan, it's Saturday for pity's sake! It's normally a day where I get to sleep in!" Kurishi moaned, as she reluctantly sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. 

"We're in Tokyo, now, Kuri. We don't get Saturdays off here." Risa said, in exasperation. Kurishi mumbled something about 'God's day of rest' as Cindi and Jessica came into the room, already dressed in their blue and white school uniforms and ready for the day ahead. 

Naru Osaka was also having a rough morning. Umino had failed to meet her at their usual meeting place the day before; she'd found out later that he and his family had moved away unexpectedly; and she'd found Nephrite's bandage in a brown cardboard box on her front doorstep. Tears clouded her vision as she walked. Things just weren't going her way. 

"Chotto matte, Naru-chan!" Usagi Tsukino shouted, coming up from behind her old friend. 

"Ohayo Gozaimas, Usagi-chan." Naru said, making a rather sorry attempt at being cheerful. Usagi wasn't fooled. 

"Hey, what's the matter? You seem a little down today." Usagi asked, concerned about her best friend. 

"It's nothing, Usagi-chan, I just don't feel very cheerful today, that's all." Naru said, glumly, as her pace slowed to a walk. 

"You sure you're not comin' down with something, Naru-chan?" Usagi asked, worriedly. 

"Don't worry so much, Usagi-chan! I'm fine!" Naru said, as she briskly walked ahead of her concerned friend. 

"_Are you sure, Naru-chan? Do you still miss Nephrite? Even after all this time?_" Usagi thought, as she too quickened her pace.

Mamoru Chiba's morning wasn't going much better. He had awakened to a terrible pain in his chest and had been coughing violently all morning. He'd even had to call in sick to his job; this wasn't something he did often. Finally, after about an hour of trying to get some work done at home, he decided to go to the doctor about his problem. Just as he was grabbing his jacket and heading out the door, the telephone rang and Mamoru answered it. To his surprise, it was Haruka! 

"What're you doin' calling me, Haruka-san?" Mamoru asked, stifling a cough with his handkerchief. 

"Just had the urge to check in on you, Prince. Are you all right?" Haruka asked, noticing that Mamoru's voice sounded strained. 

"I think I've caught a bad cold. I was just heading out the door to go to the doctor about it when you called." Mamoru replied, before coughing again. 

"I'll let you go, then. Take care of yourself, Prince." Haruka said, as a feeling of foreboding stole over her. 

"I will. Don't worry. By the way, let Usa-ko know that I won't be able to take her out to dinner tonight, okay?" Mamoru asked, as he leaned against the wall, with a hand to his head, wiping the sweat off his brow. 

"Sure thing. Get well soon, Prince." Haruka replied, then hung up the phone. Mamoru stood a moment longer with the phone in his hand then hung it up, with a tired sigh. Then he pulled on his jacket and walked out the door, dropping his handkerchief as he went. As the handkerchief fluttered to the ground, it showed plainly that Mamoru's condition was much worse than what he'd told Haruka. 

Entire continents away, Zoe McCendor rushed from table to table in the restaurant where she worked. With a tired sigh, she brushed some strands of stringy, sweaty blond hair from her eyes and looked anxiously at the clock on the far wall. 

"_One more hour to go, Zoe, then you can go home. Damn, more customers._" Zoe irritably thought as she made her way over to the two men who stood waiting to be led to their table, one, she noticed, had his right arm in a sling. 

Ive smiled as she watched Kurishi and co. come out of the school, with two new friends in tow. Naru giggled as Cindi and Kurishi bantered back and forth, sounding for all the world like toned down versions of Usagi and Rei. 

"It's about time ya'll decided to show up. I thought you were never going to get out of school!" a female voice shouted from above, startling the group. 

"Who the…………?!" Risa yelped, as three very familiar cats landed in front of them. 

"Ive! How did you………..?!" Kurishi stammered, as her cat jumped and gracefully landed in her arms. 

"Long story, Kuri-chan, one that we don't have time for right now." Ive replied, as she fixed something to the bow of her uniform and jumped back down. 

" How did you all get here?" Risa asked, as Fatsu gave her the usual 'moron look'. 

"You really do not want to know, Ri-chan. Listen, there is a new evil coming and you seven are the only ones who might be able to stop it." Fatsu said, urgently to the seven befuddled girls. 

"What do you mean? Couldn't Sailor Moon and her senshi handle this?" Naru asked, as she turned her transformational pen over and over in her hands. The cat shook her head. 

"Not alone they can't, but with your help, and that of the kamens, they might have at least a fighting chance." Fatsu said, grimly. 

"What're 'kamens', Fatsu-chan?" Kurishi asked, stooping down so she was at eye level with the talking feline. 

"The kamens are male warriors with special powers that are similar to those of the senshi. But, unlike the senshi, their powers are unstable. You might also have another group of allies coming, but they don't know that they have been chosen yet." Fatsu said, before a long-haired, black cat spoke up, saying, 

"Your lives have just taken a dangerous and irreversible turn, Constellation Senshi, if you don't adapt to your new roles quickly, you will not stand a chance against Deathstrike." 

"Cinder, who is Deathstrike? What does he have to do with us?" Kurishi asked, knowing who this cat was too. Cinder bowed her head, and gravely replied, "Now this is going to take some time to explain, but listen closely. A long time ago, the Dark Forces attacked the Silver Millennium. At the same time, the Constellation Kingdoms were also attacked; their attackers had the intent to destroy all that was good. All of the princesses, of both the planets and the constellations, were brutally slaughtered. Even the few remaining kamens weren't safe from the evil and they too perished. Deathstrike, the one that had destroyed the constellation kingdoms, was sealed away by a brave warrior from Eltarre named Thomas Skye. Thomas died shortly after using the power of the Cosmic Crystal and its power has been handed down from eldest son to eldest son since that time. Until now. Several months ago, the scanners in the control room picked up on some shooting stars. These shooting stars were not what they appeared to be at first glance, they were specially made escape pods. The Cosmic Crystal's powerful aura was also picked up, entering the atmosphere with the pods. We later found the pods, but their cargo had long disappeared by the time we'd gotten there. It is up to you girls to find that crystal and protect it from Deathstrike at all costs." Cinder said, urgently. 

"Well, I don't know what to think of this, but if my cat says that I'm a senshi, then I might as well be one." Kurishi said, with a shrug of her slender shoulders. 

"Hey! We finally get to kick some major butt! Let's do this!" Anna shouted, enthusiastically. 

"From this day onward, we are the Constellation Senshi!" Risa added, getting a unanimous, if not reluctant, agreement from the other girls around her.

Mamoru grimaced as the lady doctor put the cold stethoscope to his chest, the touch of the cold metal itself sending needle-like stabs of pain through him. 

"This is highly unusual………………………..it sounds as though you've got a heart murmur, but your records show that you have not had any heart trouble in the past……………….Would you mind if I took a blood sample from you, Chiba-san?" the doctor asked. Mamoru shook his head, too listless to care. He didn't even flinch when the doctor stuck the needle into his arm and drew the blood. She immediately noticed that his blood was very dark in color, signaling the low content of oxygen in his blood. 

"_Is his condition affecting his lungs as well? I'll give him a antibiotics shot just to be safe._" The doctor thought, as she sealed the tube of blood in a small plastic bag and sent it to the pathologist for analysis. 

"Chiba-san, I'm going to go ahead and give you a shot of antibiotics just to be on the safe side, okay?" the doctor said, not expecting to get a strong reaction from the ill man. 

"Wait a minute! You didn't say anything about a shot! Itta!" Mamoru yelped, the word shot (and the shot itself), bringing him back to life, for the moment, anyway. The doctor stifled a giggle, as Mamoru muttered a few choice words under his breath. 

"Well, if you're going to make another appointment, here's my card so you'll know who to line up." The doctor said, after Mamoru had gotten his shirt buttoned. 

"_Mizuno Maea Ph.D.…_………_Could this possibly be Mizuno Ami's mother?!_" Mamoru thought, then asked, "You wouldn't happen to know a girl by the name of Mizuno Ami, would you?" The doctor appeared to be taken aback, but she quickly composed herself. 

"Hai. Ami's my daughter, but how do you know her? Are you a friend of hers?" Maea asked, her eyebrows raised in suspicion. 

"Well, you could say that. I'm a close friend to her best friend. She's a very intelligent girl." Mamoru replied, wincing as a twinge of pain reminded him that he really needed to get home and rest. Maea relaxed. 

"Yes, she is very intelligent, but she is also very tender hearted as well. You'd best go home, Chiba-san, and take the prescription medication for the pain, okay?" Maea said, as Mamoru opened the door to leave. 

"All right. Nice meeting you, Mizuno-san." Mamoru said, before closing the door behind him.

"This is just way too weird! First of all, our school transferred us to Japan at the same time, we get this nice house that some mysterious benefactor had bought for us, we all go to the same school and we get these items from our cats, who shouldn't have been here in the first place! Can things get any weirder?" Kurishi asked, getting shakes of heads and muttered 'no's' for an answer. By now the seven of them were in the living room of the house Kurishi and her group were living in. 

"Well, at least we didn't have to pay for this place. But I still wonder who that benefactor was." Cindi said. 

"I guess we'll never know. But for now, let's get things in order here. I'm going out to go and get some groceries. I should be back in a little while." Kurishi said, grabbing her purse and jacket, then leaving through the front door. 

A young man groaned as he waited for his companions to catch up with him. He wanted to go hang out at the arcade, but the eldest of his roommates wanted to go straight home. 

"Hey, Joel! Wait up! Why don't you ever wait for us?" a man about his age asked, between gasps. 

"For the main reason that I don't want to get yet another lecture from Max about my so-called irresponsibility. That's why, Gabriel." Joel replied, irritably, as he brushed a strand of his long jet-black hair over his shoulder. 

"He's only concerned about you, Joel, since he thinks it his responsibility to watch over you since your dad's no longer among the living." Gabriel said, standing up for the eldest member of their group. 

"Gabriel, I'm nineteen years old, for crying out loud! I don't need a baby-sitter! I can handle myself very well without someone constantly hovering over me like an over protective mother hen! I'm going to the disco, I'll catch you guys later." Joel shouted, stalking off. 

"Hey! Wait for me!" Gabriel shouted, running off after Joel and accompanying him to the disco. 

Usagi stared at her telephone, worriedly. Why hadn't Mamoru called? Was he in some kind of trouble? Usagi was shaken from her thoughts when the phone suddenly rang and she jumped to answer it. 

"Moshi, moshi?! Oh, hey Rei-chan." Usagi said, sounding somewhat disappointed. 

"What's wrong, Usagi? You sound down in the dumps." Rei said, as she reclined on her own bed at her end of the line. 

"Mamo-chan hasn't called today, and I have the most horrible feeling that something is wrong with him." Usagi said, startling Rei with her seriousness. 

"You know, now that you'd mentioned it, I've been feeling the same thing. I'll ask the sacred fire about it, okay?" Rei offered. 

"Okay. Thanks Rei-chan." Usagi said, glad that Rei could probably find something out. 

"Don't mention it. See you tomorrow, Usagi." Rei said, before hanging up. 

"Okay. See ya." Usagi agreed, then hung up her phone. 

"_Mamo-chan, where could you be? Are you okay? Why won't you call me?_" Usagi wondered, as worry continued to line her features.

Mamoru sighed as he walked down the sidewalk. He couldn't figure it out. The world wasn't in danger anymore, so why was he experiencing the pain in his chest? He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't see the young woman in front of him before he ran into her, nearly knocking the bag of groceries out of her arms. 

"Whoa! Hey, watch it!" the woman yelped. 

"Gomen! I didn't mean to! I wasn't watching where I was going!" Mamoru said, as he helped her gather some of the items that had fallen out of the bag she was carrying. 

"It's all right! No harm done! Well, maybe with the exception of the eggs……….. But I don't think Ri-chan and the rest really wanted scrambled eggs tomorrow anyway. Guess it doesn't help to cry over spilt milk, does it?" the woman said, with a good-natured smile. 

"No I guess it doesn't. You're new around here, aren't you?" Mamoru asked, noticing that the way the woman talked was very much American. 

"Hai. Transferred over here for some more schooling. It's good to be away from all the jerks in my school back home. By the way, my name's Kurishi Maru, what's yours?" the woman asked, as she and Mamoru crossed the street and headed towards Juuban. 

"Chiba Mamoru. Pleased to meet you, Maru-san." Mamoru replied, politely. 

"Pleased to meet you, too, Chiba-san!" Kurishi said, as the two of them approached a junction. Just as they stopped, pain lanced through Mamoru's chest, his heart constricting in tune with the earth. Kurishi noticed. 

"Chiba-san! Daijobu?!" Kurishi yelped, as Mamoru fell to his knees, gasping for breath. 

"I………..I'll be all right…………..Just give me a moment…………" Mamoru gasped, his body practically shaking, he was in so much pain. 

"Well, well, look what we've got here! Such a lovely couple! Too bad you're going to be too badly mangled when I'm through with you to be recognized!" a hissing voice said, as its monstrous owner emerged from the shadows. 

"Youma…………." Mamoru gagged, before coughing violently into his hand. 

"Kuri-chan! Use the item I gave you this afternoon!" Ive shouted, as the youma dove in to attack Mamoru and Kurishi. 

"How do I do that?!" Kurishi cried, struggling to avoid getting hit by the youma's tail. 

"Shout 'Gemini Star Power, Make Up!' and you will be able to fight back! Hurry! Before she uses all her power on you!" Ive shouted, from on top of the wall behind both Mamoru and Kurishi. Kurishi looked at the brooch Ive had attached to her school uniform that afternoon, took it off, raised it over her head, and shouted, "Gemini Star Power, Make Up!" Right before Mamoru's eyes, a swirl of blue mist surrounded Kurishi. When the mist had dissipated, a proud, new senshi had been born. 

"Who are you?" the youma hissed, challengingly. 

"You'd better listen, and listen good, 'cause I'm only saying this once. Here I am, guardian of the earth and senshi of the constellation, Gemini, the pretty soldier in blue, Sailor Gemini!" Sailor Gemini shouted, then launched herself into battle. Mamoru looked anxiously at Ive, who was now standing beside him. 

"Does she know any attacks?" Mamoru asked, wincing as Gemini took a glancing blow to her right shoulder. 

"No, but she will. Gemini! Use your Star Bow and Arrows! Shout 'Celestial Sniper!' and send that thing first class back to where it came from!" Ive shouted, as Gemini painfully stood up. 

"Judging by how this blasted youma took out my shoulder, how am I supposed to use my bow, much less pull an arrow back?" Gemini asked, as she dodged the youma again, while pulling out the mentioned bow and arrows from thin air. 

"I'll help you. Stand in front of me and I will help you pull the arrow back." Mamoru said, ignoring the pain he was feeling and standing up straight. Gemini did as she was told and stood in front of him. 

"Humph! You think you can win with lover boy behind you? Think again! Serpent Strike!" the youma bellowed, sending a painful attack at the two brave heroes. 

"C'mon! We can beat this thing! Let's pull this arrow back and make her regret attacking us! You with me, Chiba-san?" Gemini asked. 

"Hai. Let's send her back to where she came from." Mamoru agreed, and the two stood firm. With Mamoru's help, Gemini pulled back the arrow and shouted, "Celestial Sniper!" and let the arrow fly. The arrow itself turned into a shooting star and blazed its way through the youma's middle. 

"No!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Deathstrike-sama!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" the youma moaned, as she disintegrated into a pile of star dust that vanished almost immediately. 

"Wow. This is so cool. Ri-chan is never going to believe me when I tell her that some guy and I kicked some monster's butt." Gemini said, then winced when she moved her right arm the wrong way. 

"Here, let me take care of that shoulder." Mamoru said, as he touched the injured shoulder and healed it. 

"Whoa! How'd you do that?!" Gemini yelped, moving her shoulder around and finding that it was as good as new. 

"It's a talent of mine." Mamoru replied, before passing out and landing squarely in Gemini's arms. 

"Whoa! Hang in there, Chiba-san!" Gemini shouted, reverting to her normal look and balancing him on her newly healed shoulder. 

"Ive, do you think you could teleport the groceries back to the house, or something? My hands are sorta full at the moment." Kurishi said, motioning with her head at the groceries. 

"I'll manage something. You go on ahead and get him back to the house." Ive said, with a comforting smile. Kurishi nodded, and walked (as best as she could) back to the house from there. 

"_Deathstrike is after the prince already. We must find his new guardians quickly before the worst happens._" Ive thought, as she watched Kurishi disappear into the darkness. 

"Great! He did this to us again! Wait till I get my hands on that royal pain in the ass!" Max snarled, angrily, when he found that Joel and Gabriel had gotten away from him. 

"He is, after all, a Skye, Max-kun. Both the Skye clan and the Inouki clan are fiercely independent. When bossed around by the wrong people, they tend to rebel. Besides, Max, you are only two years older than those two, so you don't have that much seniority over them." An intelligent blond haired man said, brushing some strands of hair out of his eyes as he said so. 

"Yeah, I know, Jake, but he's the last surviving member of the Skye Royal Family. King Eric, his father, told us to guard and protect him with our lives. Which means we've got to make sure that he survives long enough to ascend the throne." Max said, with a sigh. 

Seiya sighed as he looked out over the Tokyo skyline. He, Taiki and Yaten had come back to the earth because they had sensed the evil presence of Deathstrike even from Kinmoku. 

"I guess we haven't seen the last of evil in this universe." Yaten said, his voice soft as he strummed Seiya's electric guitar. 

"Where there is light, there is always darkness. Even until the end of time." Taiki said, knowing all too well that it was their fate to fight the darkness. 

"I can't wait to see Odango's face when we make our sudden comeback." Seiya said, conveniently changing the subject. Taiki chuckled. 

"They will be surprised, won't they? They thought they'd seen the last of us when we left after Galaxia was defeated! Well, they've got a surprise comin'!" Yaten said, with excitement in his voice. 

"They sure do." Seiya agreed, then thought, "_Odango_………….._Do you still remember me?_" Seiya continued staring out his window as the airplane they were in circled around one final time and landed without incident.

DARK KINGDOM

"Parilite!!!!! Your youma failed to destroy the prince of the earth and that fledgling senshi! You imbecile!" Deathstrike raged, as his henchwoman kneeled before him, not even daring to flinch when he hurled a wineglass at her and it shattered into a million pieces at her feet. 

"Yes, Deathstrike-sama. I know your displeasure and I should be punished." Parilite murmured, her heart nearly freezing in her chest when he next looked at her. 

"Darned straight, Parilite, and I know the perfect way to punish you so that next time you try even harder not to displease me." Deathstrike snarled, as he grabbed Parilite roughly by her slender arm and disappeared with her, leaving nothing behind except the horrified screams of Parilite echoing in the empty audience chamber. The captive Eric, turned his head, his face covered with disgust. 

"Be that as it may, Deathstrike, you will find that it will be harder than that to bend me to your will." Eric murmured, as he allowed his body to slip into a comatose state. 

"_I will find the ones who can free me and together, we will defeat you. That is my promise._" Eric's spirit thought as it fled into the dream realm, leaving his body hanging there, lifelessly. 

EARTH

Mamoru moaned as he awoke from unconsciousness. "Hey, Kuri-chan! The stiff's awake!" Risa shouted, when she saw the man's eyes flutter open. 

"Where am I?………Where is………………….? How did I……………..??" Mamoru said, softly, attempting to sit up then wincing when he tried. 

"Take it easy. Kuri-chan dragged you back here. She told us that you two were attacked by a youma and that you'd seen her transform. And she told us how you helped her defeat the youma when she was injured. You've seen and fought alongside a senshi before, haven't you?" Anna asked, as the rest of the girls gathered around. Mamoru sighed and nodded. 

"There's more to it than that, Anna-chan. He's one of Deathstrike's main targets. He is Prince Endymion, prince of the earth." Ive said, as she came out from under the couch and jumped onto the back of the couch. 

"You appear to know a lot about me, neko-san." Mamoru said, fighting the urge to cough while the girls were in the room. Ive smiled gently down at him. 

"That's because my memories of you go back even farther than Luna's memories do." Ive said, her voice having a wistful tone in it. Mamoru stared at her for a moment, not knowing what to make of her statement, then turned away from her as he started coughing again. 

"Chiba-san?!" Kurishi yelped, as she and her friends stared in horror as Mamoru gagged up blood. 

"It's worse than I'd thought! Something is going on in Elysion and it's not good! Senshi! Henshen yo!!" Ive shouted, as Mamoru fell back onto the couch, his face a mask of pain. Kurishi was the first to transform. Then Risa and the others followed suit.

"Dark Sun Solar Power, Make Up!"

" Pisces Star Power, Make Up!"

"Virgo Star Power, Make Up!"

"Aries Star Power, Make Up!"

"Vega Star Power, Make Up!" 

"Auriga Star Power, Make Up!"

"Now what, Ive?" Gemini shouted, when they'd all transformed. 

"We'll have to leave it to Red to find the kamens in time. For now, gather into a circle, clasp hands, concentrate on your auras and say 'Sailor Constellation Teleport'. I will keep in touch with you through your tiaras until I can make you some decent comm-links." Ive said, as Fatsu and Cinder watched the ailing man on the couch. 

"Okay. But I'll have you to blame if we don't get back here alive, Ive." Gemini said, as she joined her friends in the circle and they did as they were told. Within seconds, they had disappeared from sight. 

"Good luck, girls." Ive said, sorry about having to send the novice senshi out on a mission so important so soon. 

"Don't worry, Ive, they'll be back. They're tough girls." Fatsu said, as she patted her friend on the back. 

"Yeah. You're right, Fatsu-chan. Let's try to make the prince as comfortable as we can until this crisis is resolved and our senshi return." Ive said, with false confidence in her voice. Cinder and Fatsu nodded and went about the business of helping Mamoru. 

Joel laughed as Gabriel tried a new dance step and ended up on his back. "I wonder if they'll include that move in the next Olympics. You went airborne that time, Gabe!" Joel shouted, as his red-faced friend rejoined him at the table. 

"Well, why don't YOU try that move out, Mr. John Travolta? You're a better dancer than I am!" Gabriel snapped back, still embarrassed about falling down in front of a bunch of pretty girls. Joel appeared to think it over and said, "Naah. I'll leave that move to your credit. I can't make it any better than you can." Gabriel opened his mouth to say something more, but was prevented from doing so when he caught sight of a familiar red-haired man. 

"Joel……………….I think we've got company………………look over there." Gabriel said, pointing in the redhead's direction. Joel froze when he saw the man. 

"It's Martius all right. But what is he doing here? I thought he'd had his fun when he'd destroyed Eltarre's atmosphere and killed all the people on the planet's surface." Joel said, ashen faced as he watched the evil man walk through the crowd, his ruby red eyes taking in all the beautiful women as he passed them. 

"I don't know, but we need to get out of here, NOW. We won't be able to defend ourselves if he finds us in here." Gabriel said, his silver eyes taking on a tinge of fear when he saw the evil one getting closer to their table. 

"If we move quickly enough, we might be able to make it to the entrance. I'd rather avoid a fight in here if at all possible." Joel whispered. Gabriel nodded in agreement and the two made their way out of the disco. Joel paid his bill quickly and before the cashier could even give him his receipt, he was gone. As soon as their feet had hit the pavement outside, Joel and Gabriel ran as they'd never run before away from the disco. When they finally stopped to catch their breaths, they were far away from where they'd seen Martius. 

"That was too close, Joel! He could have sensed us!" Gabriel said, as he collapsed on a park bench, gasping for breath. 

"You know it. That must be the reason why Max is always so edgy when we're out of the apartment. I wish I'd had the power to fight back when Martius and Deathstrike attacked Eltarre, then Dad and Mama would be alive right now." Joel said, as he joined his friend on the bench and tilted his head back, gazing mournfully at the stars. 

"I know how you feel, but you must realize that until we find the Cosmic Crystal and your father's sword, we can't conclude that he is truly dead. He might be alive somewhere, counting on us to defeat this menace. You've gotta keep your hope alive, Joel." Gabriel said, before sensing something coming their way. 

"You're right about not giving up hope, Gabriel Inouki, for I have come on direct order from King Eric himself to give you boys the power you need to fight against and defeat Deathstrike." Said a red cat, as it trotted over to the wide-eyed men. 

"Did you just hear that, Gabe? Please tell me that I wasn't the only one to have heard that." Joel stuttered, as he stared at the red cat. 

"I heard it too, Joel………….." Gabriel muttered, his eyes as big as saucers. The cat chuckled softly and said, "Of course you boys don't remember me, what was I thinking? My name is Alpha Red, named after the red star in the Centori belt. I have been ordered to be your guardian and guide as you learn how to use and control your kamen powers. I have chosen you to protect the Prince of the earth. I have something I want to give you, but I must wait till you are all assembled before I can do so." The red cat said, as he motioned for the dumbstruck men to follow him. 

"We are here, Red." Max said, as he and Jake emerged from the darkness behind Gabriel and Joel. 'Red' nodded, and turned to face the four men. 

"You four have been chosen to protect this planet's prince. Mind you, you could lose your lives fulfilling your mission, but they will not be lost in vain. Take these four roses, for they are the keys to releasing your powers. Max, your element is fire, Jake, yours is water, Gabriel, you have the power to bend plants to do your bidding, and Joel, you control electricity. Now, when you need to transform, you shout what comes into your mind and the word 'Encompasse' and you will be able to access your powers. Now try it! Henshen yo!" Red shouted. The four men looked at one another, nodded in silent agreement, raised their roses into the air and shouted their power calls. 

"Silver Encompasse!" Joel shouted, as silver light enveloped him. 

"Jade Encompasse!" Gabriel cried, as green light surrounded him. 

"Flame Encompasse!" Max yelled, as crimson flames engulfed his body. 

"Ice Encompasse!" Jake shouted, as water swirled around him. Alpha Red looked up with pride in his eyes when the four men turned warriors stepped back onto the pavement, their capes ruffling gently in the nonexistent breeze. 

"Wow." Gabriel said, as he touched the mask that now adorned his pale face. 

"No kidding. This is incredible." Max said, as he inspected his battle staff. 

"I must agree with you, Max-kun." Jake said, as calm as always. 

"So these are our powers. Do we have names that mask our identities as well?" Joel asked, seriously. 

"As a matter of fact, you do. Joel, your codename is Silver Kamen; Jake you are Tuxedo Blue; Max is Tuxedo Red, and Gabriel is Jade Kamen. Do you have any more questions?" Red asked. 

"Yes. How do we use our powers when we are attacked?" Jake asked. 

"Don't worry about that. It will come to you, trust me. But for now you boys must learn how to teleport, since there is trouble brewing even as we stand here talking." Red said, as he ushered the four confused kamens into a circle. 

"Now, grasp hands and concentrate your auras on a place called Elysion. There will be other warriors there to greet you. They are about as new to this as you are so you needn't worry about being embarrassed. Now go, and learn the skills that you will need to defeat Deathstrike!" Red shouted, as the energy from the four new kamens started churning around them. 

"Red! How will we communicate with you while we are there?" Jade Kamen asked, shouting over the noise of the building energy. 

"I will communicate with you through your masks until some comm-links can be made! Don't worry! Be careful, you four!" Red shouted, as the four kamens disappeared from sight. 

"_And God, please be with them as they face this evil._" Red prayed, as he gazed a moment longer at the spot where the kamens had been standing just a few seconds before, then turned and started walking to the place where Prince Endymion was now fighting to survive.

ELYSION

Gemini gazed in awe around her. Crystalline trees shimmered in the half-light of the world's light source and horses grazed near them, oblivious to their presence. 

"It is so beautiful here. It is hard to believe that something evil is hiding here." Pisces said, as she petted one of the horse's velvet soft fur. 

"But looks can be deceiving." Solar said, as she and the other senshi picked up on the dark presence that was coming from the shrine that stood in the center of a mirror-like lake. Then brilliant light illumined the scene and sent the horses around them galloping into the woods. The senshi whirled around, expecting to see some more youma, instead they saw four of the most handsome men they had ever seen. 

"Oh hot @#$%!!" Solar, Pisces, and Gemini said at the same time, trying to keep their drooling under control. 

"Ummm……………hello." Said one, as a slight blush touched his pale face, his silver eyes twinkling pleasantly in the dimming light. 

"K-konbanwa." The senshi said in unison, completely enamored with the men standing before them. 

"Aw, c'mon ladies, no need to be shy! We're here to help!" the man in the red mask said, with a killer smile. 

"Hey Gemmi, why're you blushing?" Solar asked, noticing that Gemini's face was glowing. 

"I'm not blushing." Gemini growled, embarrassed. 

"Yes you are! Your face looks like a Christmas tree light!" Pisces said, with a giggle, as Gemini glowered at her. The kamens snickered and shook their heads. 

"Alpha Red had said there would be other warriors here to greet us; he didn't say that they would be women!" a man in a blue mask said, with exasperation in his voice. 

"And what's wrong with being women?! Hmmm?" Solar asked, getting right up in Tuxedo Blue's face. 

"N-nothing! It's just that I thought there would be more of our kind of warrior around that's all! I don't bear any ill will against you!" Tuxedo Blue stammered, turning around and glaring at his fellow kamens when they made remarks behind his back. 

"By the way, we have yet to properly introduce ourselves! I am Silver Kamen, and these are my partners and friends, Tuxedo Red, Jade Kamen and Tuxedo Blue. We have been given the power to protect the earth and its prince, Endymion. What do you call yourselves?" Silver Kamen asked, sounding for all the world like a Southern gentleman instead of a former New Yorker. 

"Well, since you're bein' so polite we'll tell ya. I'm Sailor Solar and these are my friends, Sailors Gemini, Aries, Pisces, Vega, Auriga, and Virgo. We are the Constellation Senshi." Sailor Solar said, speaking for the senshi team. 

"We are very pleased to meet all of you, Sailor Senshi." Tuxedo Red said, bowing gracefully and using his cape to implement his move. 

"It's no wonder he got the element of fire…..he's always so full of hot air!" Silver Kamen muttered under his breath, getting a dirty look from the taller man as a response. The moment was shattered when the ground beneath them quaked violently, sending them sprawling onto their backs and butts. 

"Minna! The dark presence is very close by! Stay alert!" Ive shouted through the senshis' tiaras. 

"Let's go! We need to destroy the being that is doing this!" Auriga shouted, as they all got to their feet and dashed to the lake. 

"How are we going to get over that?!" Jade Kamen asked. 

"You jump." Alpha Red stated, matter of factly, through the kamens' masks. 

"We WHAT?!?" Jade Kamen yelped, as a tidal wave of rock and dirt roared up behind them, obliterating everything behind them and gaining speed. 

"Either you jump, or you die. Those are your alternatives." Alpha Red said, his voice deadly serious. 

"Okay, Red, we'll try." Tuxedo Red said, then shouted to the senshi running alongside them, " Minna! We're going to have to try to jump over this lake! I know it sounds impossible, but we have to do it or we won't leave here alive!" The senshi nervously nodded and prepared themselves for the jump. The edge of the lake came quickly and they all had a split second to make a literal leap of faith. 

EARTH

Mamoru groaned as the pain in his chest intensified. "How is he holding up?" Alpha Red asked, as he came in through an open window. 

"Not good, I'm afraid. I think the pain's getting worse and he keeps coughing up blood from his lungs. If something isn't done soon, he'll die." Cinder said, gloomily, as she glanced over her shoulder at the struggling man on the couch. 

"I have no doubt in my mind that the Planetary Senshi have already sensed the upheaval in Elysion and will go to investigate, I just hope that they don't cause any conflict with the Constellation Senshi." Ive said, miserably as she remained next to the sick man's side.

Luna's eyes widened when she glanced at the computer screen. "_I have got to call the senshi to attention! Mamoru-sama is in terrible danger!_" Luna thought, as she raced out of the secret control room and ran home, knowing the full urgency of the situation at hand. Moments later, she arrived at the Tsukino residence and found that Usagi had already left for the Hikawa Shrine. Luna then dashed to the shrine and entered, just as a Sailor meeting was getting under way. 

"Minna! Trouble in Elysion!" Luna panted, as she stood in the center of the group of girls. 

"We know, Luna! Rei-chan's just told us what she'd sensed! Mamoru-sempai's in terrible danger!" Ami shouted, as she frantically traced the evil presence to its source. 

"And the sacred fire showed me something else." Rei said, her expression turning apprehensive. 

"What is that, Rei-chan?" Usagi asked, tensely. 

"There are seven new Sailor Senshi and four new warriors like Tuxedo Kamen-sama as well. I have not found out whether or not they are good or evil, but they are in Elysion now. We must get down there and save Elysion!" Rei said, urgently. 

"But will the Sailor Teleport work with the Outer Senshi as well? We've never tried that before." Hotaru said, with concern in her purple eyes. 

"It should work, since we are all from this solar system. But I think there is something else that might prevent us from going to Elysion." Ami said. 

"What's that, Ami-chan?" Makoto asked. 

"There's a barrier between us and Elysion. It was constructed with us in mind and no matter what we do, we won't be able to break through it. All we can do now is wait, and hope that these new senshi and warriors destroy this new evil before it can get very far." Ami said, her ocean blue eyes filled with worry. 

"I can't just sit here while Mamo-chan's life is at stake!" Usagi shouted, standing up as though she was about to transform. 

"There's nothing else we can do, kitten, until this crisis is over. Just stay here and calm down. It should turn out all right." Haruka said, as she leaned back on the wall and stared at the ceiling, hiding her own frustration behind a mask of calm optimism. Usagi, with some reluctance on her part, did as she was told and sat back down, chewing her bottom lip with worry as she thought about the fate of the man she loved.

ELYSION

Silver Kamen whirled around after he'd landed gracefully on dry land again. They had just barely escaped being crushed by the earthen tidal wave and landed safely on the other side of the lake. He could hear his comrades breathing a collective sigh of relief; they'd all made it to the center of the lake in one piece. 

"Minna, daijobu ka?" Tuxedo Red asked, breathlessly. 

"Whoa, if I could get on a long jump team for the Olympics as Sailor Auriga, I could have gotten a gold medal for that long jump! My parents back home would never in a million years believe this!" Auriga said, excitedly, getting a nervous chuckle from the rest of the group. 

"Well, now we know who the most genki Constellation Senshi in the group is now." Jade Kamen said, with an easy-going smile in Sailor Auriga's direction. Sailor Solar smiled, then turned her attention to the task at hand. 

"Okay, ya'll, this is where things are sorta going to get rough. That temple is at the epicenter of the evil presence I have been feeling while we've been here. Let's go see what awaits us inside." Sailor Solar said, getting a unanimous agreement from both teams. 

"It appears we have company, Elios. What do you say we welcome them in?" a woman clad in black silk asked. She received no reply from the person in question and she turned around and scowled at the motionless form on the floor. What had once been the boyish high priest of Elysion was now aged to an adult to match his master's age-look; his clothes were in shreds and there were thorny vines wrapped around his chest, upper arms and around his hips and legs. Blood dripped from several deep wounds in his chest, and every time he breathed in, the thorn vines dug even deeper into his flesh, causing him to bleed even more. With a snort of contempt, the woman kicked the wounded man in the ribs, making the thorns dig even deeper into his side and getting a yell of pain from the semi-conscious man for a response. 

"No matter. I intend to have fun with these foolish young warriors who have come to rescue you." The woman sneered, before disappearing into the shadows. Elios grimaced, but concentrated on a mental link between himself and Tigers-eye, formerly of the Amazon Trio. 

"_Tigers-eye_……………………._Tigers-eye, can you hear me?_" Elios called. 

"_Elios-sama? Is it time? Is it time to awaken him? The chosen guardian of Elysion?_" Tigers-eye asked, anxiously. 

"_Yes. It is time, Tigers-eye. Awaken him now, before those who have come to rescue me die horrible deaths. Please hurry! There isn't any time left!_" Elios commanded, before unconsciousness reclaimed him.

Tigers-eye looked grimly at his brother and sister (who'd once been his brother, but had had his gender changed as punishment for being 'fickle' as Elios had put it) and said, "Elios-sama says it's time. Awaken the guardian." Fish-eye and Hawks-eye both paled and swallowed hard. They both knew the potential of this particular warrior and dreaded the day of his awakening, but both did as they were told and entered the place where the guardian slept, knowing that he could be their only hope. 

"I sure hope that his power is enough to stop that demoness." Fish-eye said, grimly, as she and Hawks-eye descended into a secret cavern. 

"I do too, Fishy, more than anything." Hawks-eye said, using a nickname for his sister that she didn't particularly like. 

"Hawks-eye, you may call me whatever you like, just don't ever use that nickname again. Got it?" Fish-eye growled. 

"Got it, imoto-chan." Hawks-eye said, as the two of them approached a huge stone door with a golden emblem on it. 

"Well, here goes…." Fish-eye trailed off as she and Hawks-eye pushed the heavy door open and entered the room beyond.

Gemini glanced cautiously around the shrine grounds, then motioned for them to follow her out into the open when she saw that all was clear. 

"So, you've come to play with me, Sailor Senshi! Kamens!" a woman's voice cackled, sounding like it came from every direction at once. 

"Who are you? Why are you wreaking havoc here?" Silver Kamen shouted, dodging a crystal spear as it sailed in his direction. 

"Because I want revenge against those who'd done my beloved cousin in. And the way to do that is to hurt their beloved prince, Endymion! Die now, Sailor Senshi!" the woman's voice screeched, sending a hail of crystal spears showering down onto the senshi and kamens. 

"Yipe! Ive! We need attacks! Now! We're in a very hot spot at the moment!" Pisces cried, as she and the others dodged the incoming attack. 

"Okay, Pisces, hang tight! Shout what comes into your mind and that will be your attack! The same goes for everybody else as well!" Ive shouted, through her tiara. Pisces nodded and stood her ground. 

"Oh, so there is an extremely foolish one in this group! You'll die an extremely painful death then!" the evil voice sneered, as an extra volley of spears shot her way. 

"Pisces! Move! Don't just stand there!" Gemini screamed, when she saw the danger her friend was in. Pisces then did something they weren't expecting, she started fighting back. 

"Pisces Green Tornado!" Pisces shouted, aiming her attack at a specific area in the shrine keep, forcing the demoness out of her hiding place. 

"Damn you, Sailor Senshi! Crystal Blade!" the evil woman shrieked, retaliating with her own attack. 

"Don't you dare hurt Pisces! Celestial Sniper!" Gemini shouted, angrily, sending her arrow blazing at the demoness. 

"Let me help as well! Auriga Space Laser!" Sailor Auriga cried, joining in on the attack. 

"And me as well! Vega Twin Blade!" Sailor Vega said, joining her attack with those of her comrades. All three attacks made their mark and made the demoness stagger back a few feet, but it didn't make her fall. Instead it just made her angry. Very angry. 

"Take this! Crystal Blaze!" the demoness cried, sending a painful blast of white-hot energy at them. 

"Move it!" Silver Kamen shouted, pushing Sailor Aries and Virgo out of the way before the blast could hurt them. 

"That's it! I've had enough of you trying to hurt these ladies! Crimson Blaze!!" Tuxedo Red shouted, sending angry hot flames at the demoness. 

"Let me add some heat to that fire! Dark Solar Flare!" Sailor Solar screamed, sending her flames to join those of Tuxedo Red's. With a bloodcurdling scream the demoness leaped back away from the flames, clawing at her face as she did so. 

"My face! You little @#%$&! You've ruined my beautiful face! Now I will surely destroy you! DIE!!!" the demoness screeched, as she brought her hands down and revealed her badly burned face. She attacked the senshi and kamens with yet another volley of spears. 

"I'll cool you off, demoness! Frozen Submerge!" Tuxedo Blue shouted, his voice echoing with power. The demoness screamed as the ice covered her, and Tuxedo Blue turned to his comrades and said, "You guys go on ahead of me into the shrine. I'll remain out here to keep an eye on the ugly lady." They all nodded and dashed into the partially opened doors of the shrine, not knowing how long Tuxedo Blue could hold the demoness at bay.

Meanwhile, Fish-eye and Hawks-eye had reached the inner sanctum of the place where the guardian slept. There, on a bed, lay the only hope they had left. He looked to be about sixteen or seventeen years old and his face was peaceful, like a child's and was framed by long, golden blond hair. His hands were folded on his chest; in his hands he held a single, golden rose, the key to his power. 

"Okay, so we found him. Now what?" Fish-eye said, looking to her brother for advice. 

"Don't look at me, I don't know how to wake this guy up." Hawks-eye said, putting his hands in front of him defensively. Then Fish-eye looked down at the young man's peaceful face and noticed that his eyes were open and he was staring questioningly up at her. For a moment, the three of them held perfectly still, not really knowing what to think of each other, then the young man sat up and silently analyzed them with his crystalline blue eyes. 

"Who are you?" the young man asked, his voice soft, almost a whisper. 

"I'm Fish-eye, and this is my stupid excuse for a brother, Hawks-eye. Listen, kiddo, this world is in terrible danger and it needs your protection. There are some kamens and senshi here now holding a demoness at bay and they desperately need your help. You're the only hope Elysion and Elios have left." Fish-eye said, ignoring the baleful gaze her brother sent her way. The young man nodded silently, as though secretly concocting a scheme on how to defeat the demoness before it did any further damage. 

"Can you tell me where this demoness is?" the young man asked, as he slowly stood up and started walking towards the door. 

"She was in front of the shrine last time we saw her. You'd better hurry and transform before she goes back into the shrine." Hawks-eye said, as an explosion overhead caused some rocks to fall from the ceiling of the inner sanctum. The young man nodded, held up his rose and shouted, "Golden Mirage Encompasse!" Brilliant golden light engulfed the man and, when it had faded, left a warrior in its stead. 

"We must get out of here before this whole place collapses!" the golden masked warrior shouted, as the ceiling showed signs of caving in. 

"I couldn't agree with you more!" Fish-eye yelped, as the three of them dashed up the winding staircase and out into the open air where Tigers-eye was waiting. 

Gemini and Solar couldn't believe their eyes. The carnage inside the shrine was horrific. There were dead animals strewn everywhere and the occasional human as well. The one human that caught their eyes, however, was the one with the shredded clothes and the thorny vines wrapped around his body. 

"I can't believe this…………look at all this destruction…………..just like the streets of Evangelion after Deathstrike's first wave of attacks." Jade Kamen said, his voice wavering and on the verge of tears. 

"I know, Jade Kamen, I know. Seeing this just brings back way too many unpleasant memories." Tuxedo Red said, as he placed a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. Silver Kamen clenched his fists and looked away from the scene, knowing that if he looked too long, he'd start remembering his last night on his home planet. 

"Hey! This guy's still breathing! Get over here, minna!" Auriga shouted, as she carefully started cutting vines off of his body with the pocketknife she always carried. They all rushed over to Auriga's side and looked at the man in the shredded clothes. It was true, the man was indeed breathing, even though it was shallow at best. When all the vines had fallen away, all the senshi started blushing and looking away (well, not exactly all of them. Solar was still staring). 

"What's the matter, ladies?" Tuxedo Red asked, noticing all the embarrassed expressions. 

"Erm…….um…………I think he outgrew his clothes too fast…………..uh……….he's almost naked…………" Gemini said, her face practically glowing with embarrassment. Tuxedo Red took a closer look, then took off his cape and wrapped it around the unconscious man so the modest senshi wouldn't burst a vein with all their blushing (with Solar that wasn't a problem. It was the drooling that hadn't stopped yet). 

"Better now, ladies?" Tuxedo Red asked, when the man was properly under cover. All the modest senshi nodded, but Solar didn't and instead looked disappointed. 

"That was truly noble of you, Red Boy." Silver Kamen said, as he patted his tall friend on the back. 

"Yes. You should try it sometime, Silvie." Tuxedo Red rebuked, sarcastically. Silver Kamen merely scowled at him and turned to look in another direction. It was then that a shattering noise was heard outside of the shrine and Tuxedo Blue was bodily thrown into the shrine, where he crashed into a wall with a sickening thud. 

"JAKE!!!!" Silver Kamen cried, his eyes wide with horror as he and his comrades dashed over to the wounded kamen. 

"I tried to hold her off as long as I could………………..but I wasn't strong enough…………….it hurts…………" Tuxedo Blue moaned, before lapsing into unconsciousness. 

"Now it is your turn to die." Snarled the voice of the demoness, before she unleashed a hailstorm of crystal daggers, forcing the warriors to pick up their wounded and run for their lives. Before they could get very far, their escape route was cut off by the demoness herself. 

"Time to say goodbye, sailor senshi and kamens! Die!!!" the demoness screeched raising her claws to strike. 

"Sacred Golden Flame!!!" a male voice cried from behind the demoness. 

"Huh?!?" the demoness said, turning around just in time to see the attack roaring at her. 

"NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not more fire!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Deathstrike-sama!!!!!!!!!!!!" the demoness screamed, as the brilliant golden flames engulfed her. 

"Who did that??" Aries asked, for the first time in their entire adventure saying something. 

"I did." Said the voice again, as the owner walked out of the shadows and into the light.

EARTH

Ive turned to look at Mamoru in astonishment as his breathing quieted and he stopped coughing up blood. 

"They did it! They won!" Ive said, as tears of joy and relief started flowing down her furry face. 

"They sure did. I think they are going to reappear in the park. Why don't you go and greet them there? I'll keep an eye on the stiff." Fatsu said, grinning when she heard a soft 'I heard that' come from the man on the couch. 

"Will do! See ya!" Ive said, as she hurriedly opened a window with her nose and raced off into the night.

ELYSION

Thinking they were about to face another enemy, the kamens and senshi gathered in a large circle around the two injured men, prepared for anything. 

"You needn't worry, I will not hurt you." The gold masked kamen said, as he approached the wary warriors. 

"Who are you? Why do you have a uniform like ours?" Tuxedo Red asked.

"It is because, like you, I have been chosen to protect the prince." The gold masked kamen said, as he took a closer look at Tuxedo Blue. 

"You still haven't told us your name." Silver Kamen said, eyeing the golden-masked warrior warily as he assessed the wounds on Tuxedo Blue's body. 

"I am known as Tuxedo Gold. From here on out I am to assist you in battles as your ally and fellow guardian of the prince. Now, to heal your friend's and Master Elios' wounds. Healing Light!" the gold kamen shouted, as radiant golden light surrounded the two wounded men. Within moments, Tuxedo Blue and 'Elios' were standing upright again, and, much to the relief of the modest senshi (and much to Solar's dismay) Elios was fully clothed again.

"What happened? Where's the ugly lady?" Tuxedo Blue asked, confused and still a bit out of it.

"The ugly lady got beaten by that small guy over there who calls himself Tuxedo Gold." Tuxedo Red replied, refraining from giving his friend a bear hug.

"One more kamen? But where did he come from? Why weren't we told about his existence before now?" Tuxedo Blue asked, coming even more awake by the news that they now had another ally. 

"It is not knowledge that is readily known to others, Tuxedo Blue. The secret of the Kamen Crystals has been hidden for countless generations. But, the three Kamen Crystals that remained untainted by evil were those of Tuxedo Kamen, Silver Kamen, and myself. The whereabouts of the Silver Kamen's crystal are unknown, and my crystal has not fully awakened yet. We, along with the Constellation Senshi, are in for a long growing process, so it is best to take this as slowly as we can." Tuxedo Gold said, calmly, the gravity of their new mission evident in his manner.

"Ive and Fatsu mentioned something about an evil being named Deathstrike. Do you know anything about him?" Aries asked. 

"We certainly do! He destroyed our home planet and killed all of the Royal Family, but one! We know plenty about him and his scum son Martius!" Tuxedo Red broke in, gray eyes glowing with anger and hatred towards the evil being.

"Then you know of the legend of how he was sealed away one thousand years ago." Tuxedo Gold said, as Elios started rousing up.

"We've heard rumors about it. About King Thomas sealing the evil king away after the destruction of the Constellation Kingdoms. We know that he died after using the Cosmic Crystal's powers of sealing. Other than that, we've heard nothing else." Jade Kamen said, as the Constellation Senshi started exchanging disbelieving expressions with one another. 

"You guys are aliens?! But you don't look like aliens!" Pisces said, getting a unanimous cringe out of the four kamens.

"Sailor Pisces, we would greatly appreciate it if you didn't call us 'aliens'. Call us 'otherworlders' instead, okay?" Silver Kamen said, with a look of chagrin on his handsome face.

"Okay." Pisces replied.

"Thank you." Jade Kamen said, as the Senshi and Tuxedo Gold chuckled at the four novice Kamens' expense. 

"Now, how do we get home? Do we use the teleport again?" Gemini asked, turning to Solar for advice.

"There is a way for you all to do a collective teleport with both kamens and senshi. Just link hands, concentrate on your powers and say, 'Universal Senshi and Kamen Teleport'." Elios suggested, quietly.

"You're pretty smart, for some guy who got caught by a demoness." Solar said, getting a look of exasperation from the priest.

"Why don't you come with us, Elios? Check on this 'Prince Endymion' while you're at it?" Tuxedo Red asked.

"I don't think I can go to earth. You see, the only reason I exist is because of the dreams of the people of earth. I would not last long there." Elios replied, with regret in his voice.

"Coward." Solar muttered, succeeding in getting a rise out of Elios.

"I am not a coward!" Elios shouted, for once losing his cool.

"Then prove it. Come to earth with us." Solar taunted, knowing that reverse psychology was one way to get him to come along with them. Without saying anything else, Elios joined the group when they had linked up and prepared himself to go to earth.

"Universal……..!" Solar shouted.

"Senshi………." Gemini cried, as colorful auras surrounded them.

"And Kamen…………" Tuxedo Red joined, as the auras around them got even brighter.

"Teleport!" they all shouted together. Within seconds they had disappeared from Elysion and were on their way to earth.

EARTH

THE PARK

Ive waited impatiently on a park bench for her senshi to return from their first battle. Nearby a twig snapped and she turned abruptly to see what it was that was moving around. To her surprise, she saw all of the Planetary Senshi!

"Luna! Artemis! Long time, no see!" Ive shouted, pleased to see her fellow advisor cats after so long.

"Good to see you too, Ive. What are you doing here?" Artemis asked, as the dumb struck Planetary Senshi got closer to Ive to get a better look.

"Waiting for the Constellation Senshi to reappear. Is that why you are here, Artemis? Luna? Senshi?" Ive asked, turning to each as she approached them.

"We came here to meet these new senshi and to make sure that the new kamens won't cause any trouble." Uranus said, as a brilliant light illumined the entire central circle of the park. When the light had faded, more voices were heard coming their way. Sailor Moon looked at the new senshi in awe. She didn't know that they had even existed, yet she knew that there were countless planets and stars in the universe to which these senshi could belong. What really blew her away was the kamens. They did indeed have the trademark 'domino' masks that Tuxedo Kamen was known to wear in battle, but each of theirs was a different color. The kamen in the gold mask immediately took notice of her, walked over to her and kneeled.

"Princess Serenity." The gold masked kamen was heard to murmur, before even daring to raise his eyes from the ground to look at her face. 

"How do you know who I am? Did we ever meet in the Silver Millennium?" Sailor Moon asked, trying to bring the young man's face into her mind.

"We might have, but, then again, we might not have. Not all of my memories are in place yet. But I do remember that I had heard many stories about you during my time in Elysion as the guardian of the shrine." Tuxedo Gold replied, as he stood back up. 

"What role do you play now, kamen?" Neptune asked, out of curiosity.

"My main purpose now is to protect Prince Endymion from Deathstrike long enough for the Golden Crystal to awaken within him." Tuxedo Gold said, as he turned to his fellow kamens and nodded.

"You know about the Golden Crystal as well, kamen? How do you know about it?" Jupiter asked, with suspicion in her voice. 

"I told him, Sailor Jupiter." Elios said, as he stepped forward. All of the Inner Senshi were dumbstruck by the priest of Elysion's appearance.

"Priest Elios, is that you?! What happened to you?" Mercury asked. Elios nodded.

"I know not how this happened, Sailor Mercury. But I do know this; the planet that we all cherish is about to be attacked by a powerful evil, an evil that hasn't been seen in any galaxy in over one thousand years. You must work together in order to protect your world." Elios urged, but knew that it was going to be difficult for the two teams of senshi to get along. Then, suddenly, Tuxedo Gold jerked himself to his feet, his eyes widening as he did so.

"What's wrong, Tuxedo Gold?" Gemini asked, when she'd noticed the look on the kamen's face.

"Endymion-sama……………….Deathstrike's found his location and is going after him! Now that the Golden Crystal has started it's awakening process, he won't be able to transform into Tuxedo Kamen! He'll have to learn how to transform all over again!" Tuxedo Gold shouted, and started running in the direction of where his imperiled master lay. Without a moment's hesitation, all of the senshi and kamens followed him, their fears renewed for the prince's safety. 

Mamoru panted as he rounded a corner. He had to try to get away. Something very evil was right behind him and he could not transform; try as he might, he could not. In the confusion, he'd lost track of the three guardian cats that had watched over him since the Constellation Senshi had left to face whatever it was in Elysion. Even though he felt much better than he had earlier, he was still extremely weak and desperately needed to rest. When he stopped to catch his breath, he had to brace himself against a wall in order to keep himself from falling down from weakness. 

"_What is wrong with me?! Why can't I transform? Calm down, Mamo! Get your wits about you! This is no time to panic! Now, how did the senshi handle not being able to transform? What did they do?_" Mamoru thought, as he tried to get control of his racing heart. He then remembered a time when he had felt the same kind of panic that he was feeling now. It was when Zoicite was chasing him in the docking area, and when he had finally pinned him. But then he'd had his life saved by Sailor Venus; that in itself was a miracle.

"Ah, so there you are, Prince Endymion! Do you intend to run from me all night? Or would you just simply hand yourself and your Golden Crystal over to me?" a red haired man asked, his voice and eyes sending cold chills down Mamoru's spine.

"I intend to do neither! You will not have me or my crystal! I'll fight you till my last breath!" Mamoru shouted, fearlessly.

"Is that so? You know that no one will save you this time, Endymion. You've been fortunate to get this far, but, that luck of yours has just run out! Prepare to die!" the evil man said, before releasing a powerful blast of energy at him. Mamoru, unable to move, winced and prepared himself for the end. But the end did not come. Slowly, he opened his eyes and looked. To his astonishment, he saw four white-clad warriors blocking the dark energy with their own powers. 

"But who……………….?" Mamoru asked, falling silent, with his mouth agape, when one of the warriors turned his head to look at him. It was Kunzite!

"But it can't be! You four are dead, twice over! How could you possibly be alive?!" the dark one asked, as he started backing away from the four Generals.

"We returned because we have jobs undone…….." Jadeite said.

"And lives unfulfilled………" Nephrite finished, just as the two groups of senshi and the team of kamens arrived on the scene. Sailor Virgo just about froze to the spot. She couldn't believe her eyes. It was Nephrite! He was alive and he was protecting Mamoru! 

"Nephrite-sama…….." Virgo murmured, softly, as tears came to her eyes. 

"Virgo? Daijobu?" Gemini asked. 

"I'm all right now, Gemini. Thank you for asking." Virgo said, as she wiped her tears away with her gloved hand. 

"You sure, Virgo-chan?" Solar asked. 

"Yeah, positive. I'm gonna be okay." Virgo said, with a smile. 

"Their shield is weakening! Kamens! We attack NOW!" Tuxedo Gold shouted, rousing the rest of the kamens' attention and leading them into a mad dash up to the evil man.

"It's Martius! Crimson Flame!!!!!!!!!!" Tuxedo Red shouted, immediately sending a blast of angry flames at the evil prince.

"How dare you show your face here! I won't forgive it! Jade Spear!" Jade Kamen shouted, sending sharpened staves of pure green crystal at Martius. 

Mamoru watched in stunned amazement as the strange warriors that were so much like him used attacks like senshi. 

"It looks like we're going to have some help this time, doesn't it?" Zoicite asked, as she and the rest of the Generals watched the fight.

"What do you mean, Zoicite?" Mamoru asked, as Zoicite turned around and faced him, the other Generals doing the same as she did so.

"What we were originally born to do centuries ago; protect you. In case you have forgotten, Endymion-sama, we were your Guardians long before we were Beryl's Generals." Zoicite replied. It was then that Mamoru realized that this Zoicite was female. 

"I always thought that you were male, Zoicite." Mamoru said, as he looked the General/guardian over.

"Endymion-sama! I was never male! I only pretended to be male so I could remain with Kunzite! Princess Mercury and I agreed to help further the ruse way back in the good ol' days of the Silver Millennium! Of course, when Beryl found out that I was female, she used her dark magic to change my gender! So I've always been female, hon, you just never realized it." Zoicite said, with a good-natured laugh. 

"_Even the way she laughs has changed._" Mamoru thought before something landed right in front of him. 

"Enough of the chit-chat! It's time to transform, Mamoru-sama!" a cat said, from in front of Mamoru.

"That would be all fine and good, if I were able to, cat! Now, how do you propose I transform? Hmm? Give me some suggestions." Mamoru said, testily.

"Sheesh! No need to take it out on me! Just take this rose, raise it over your head and shout, 'Tuxedo Encompasse!' and you will be able to transform. And by the way, my name is not, 'cat'. My name is Tabbi. I am to be your guardian feline from now on." The cat said, as he gave the frustrated young man a glowing red rose. Mamoru raised an eyebrow.

"So I actually get a cat guardian of my own that has his own attitude…….this is a lot to swallow. And I can now transform by the aid of a spoken command, like a senshi? Will I still have the same abilities as before, or will I have the ability to attack?" Mamoru asked, as he picked up the rose and studied it.

"Give it a try, Cape Boy, you might be surprised." Zoicite said, using her old nickname on him.

"Yep, you are the real Zoicite." Mamoru muttered, as more battle cries were heard from the intensifying battle.

"Yessiree! The one and only! Here to protect ya and otherwise drive ya nuts!" Zoicite said, with a grin, at least until one of the kamens and two of the senshi landed with a crash into some trash cans. 

"Hurry up! That Martius guy is giving them a real thrashing! Henshen yo!" Tabbi shouted, desperately. Mamoru took a deep breath and nodded.

"Here goes………….." Mamoru said, raising the rose over his head and shouting, "Tuxedo Encompasse!" 

With a brilliance that had never been seen before, the Golden Crystal burst forth from his chest, shedding its light onto the scene before wrapping itself around him. Mamoru closed his eyes and reveled as the feeling of power filled his veins and his very being. 

"_So this is what it feels like to truly transform! What a feeling! It feels like a fire has been ignited in my chest!_" Mamoru thought, as the golden light formed his tuxedo and domino mask. But there was something different about his uniform when he'd finished transforming. There was now a golden sun amulet around the collar of his shirt that had not been there before. But, before he could take the time to look at it, he was pushed into battle by an irresistible urge. He needed to see what he could do now. When he saw Sailor Moon dodge to avoid a blow from Martius and saw Sailor Gemini hit the ground next to him, his anger flared, and so did his newfound powers. Then what seemed to him to be an attack phrase came into his mind, pushing away all other thoughts.

"Tuxedo La Smoking Bomber!!!!!!!!!!!" Tuxedo Kamen shouted, cupping his energy filled hands together and thrusting them forward, sending an attack that was much like Uranus' 'World Shaking' attack hurtling at Martius. Martius screamed as the attack hit him, but he did not disintegrate like a normal youma would have.

"Just you wait, protectors of earth! This is not the last you will see of me! Mark my words, it is not!" Martius hissed, his eyes glowing evilly, as he disappeared in a pall of acrid smoke.

"Well done, Tuxedo Kamen! That was splendid! You will make a very excellent leader indeed!" Tabbi meowed, then yowled when he was picked up by the scruff of his neck.

"You didn't say anything about my becoming a leader to anyone! Why did you bring this up now?!" Tuxedo Kamen asked, very much perturbed by the whole goings on of that night, as senshi and kamen alike watched the exchange between cat and human.

"It's all right, Tabbi, I'll explain what this is all about." Tuxedo Gold said, as he approached the very first kamen. Tuxedo Kamen eyed him warily. 

"You have nothing to fear, Tuxedo Kamen. The very fact that we are here is proof that destiny has chosen you to be our leader. You see, there was a team of kamens centuries ago, but it was nothing like the team that is assembled here tonight. Long before the Sailor Wars, there was another, more horrific battle that took place, just on the edge of this galaxy. An evil, power-consumed kamen by the name of Tuxedo Death was the leader of a team of kamens known then as the Death Harbingers. They destroyed countless planets and killed many senshi and kamens, leaving chaos and destruction in their wake. Eventually, the founders of Silver Millennium and of the Coalition of Aldebaran made the decision to destroy the kamens, purify their crystals, then seal the crystals away until a later time. Even the king of Eltarre, a man known as Thomas, came to the aid of the high councils and rounded the evil kamens up. King Charon, who was then a kamen himself and went by the name of ShadowBringer Kamen, was the first to use the weapon known as the Silence Glaive. All but three Kamen Crystals were sealed away, the Golden Crystal, the Golden Ocean Crystal, and the Illusionary Crystal. There is now a chance for these other Kamen Crystals to start anew. With you as their leader, they will be sure to follow the light you give off and prevent another battle like the one that occurred centuries hence." Tuxedo Gold said, as the warrior looked at the other kamens who stood together and watched from a distance.

"Where did those four come from, if you came from Elysion?" Tuxedo Kamen asked, his voice and demeanor much calmer.

"We four hail from the Late Planet of Eltarre, from the Royal Province of Evangelion therein, sir." Tuxedo Red said, with military briskness.

"The same planet where this King Thomas came from?" Tuxedo Kamen asked.

"King Thomas was my ancestor, sir." Silver Kamen replied.

"What a twist of fate. The same evil that tore the life from King Thomas, has now brought his descendant to earth." Tuxedo Gold said, grimly. Tuxedo Kamen nodded in agreement. This was a very strange twist of fate indeed.

"Just because they are using this power for good now, doesn't mean you should trust them, Prince! What if they turn around and destroy you?" Uranus asked, unsheathing her Space Sword and pointing it at the four kamens. 

"Sailor Moon gave Galaxia a second chance. Why don't you allow for a second chance in these four?" Tuxedo Kamen asked surprising Sailor Uranus with his clarity of mind. 

"So, what do we do now?" Jade Kamen asked.

"The only thing we can do, at the moment. Unite ourselves under a wise leader and go along for the ride. What have we got to lose?" Tuxedo Red said, as he stood by the side of Tuxedo Kamen. 

"We have nothing to lose, except our lives. But those we will live to the fullest." Tuxedo Blue said, as he did the same. 

"Our lives are yours, Prince Endymion, as are our loyalties. We declare our pact by blood-oath and bind ourselves by the seal of the rose. I give up my royal honor to serve under your leadership." Silver Kamen said, as he and his friends from Eltarre grasped their roses and allowed the blood to drip onto the pavement. 

"And we hereby renew our promise to you, Prince Endymion, that we will protect you till the day we fall in battle." Kunzite said, as the four Generals completed the circle. Tuxedo Kamen was stunned. In his last battle, he had been alone, but in this new fight they were entering, he actually had friends that would stand by him and watch out for him.

"And I promise you, my team and my guardians, that I will not leave the battlefield without knowing that you are coming off of the battlegrounds with me. I, in turn, pledge my loyalty to you and promise that I will do what I can to prevent a repeat of what happened in the past to your predecessors. I join you in your blood-oath and bind myself to you as you have to me." Tuxedo Kamen said, as he finished the elaborate, albeit impromptu, demonstration of loyalty and renewing and making of vows. 

"Well. Getting them together was easier than I'd thought it would be. You really pulled some good strings, Tabbi" Ive said, as she and the other guardian cats watched the goings on from overhead.

"I know. Finding the Four Generals had been the hardest part. But, when I did find them, awakening them was easy. Ah, now what is this that is going on down there?" Tabbi asked, turning their attention back to what was going on below. 

Nephrite turned around when he heard footsteps approaching him. To his surprise he saw that a Sailor Senshi was approaching him, with a look of hope in her eyes. It then occurred to him that this girl was very familiar to him.

"Nephrite-sama?" the senshi asked, her voice soft and gentle. The realization hit Nephrite like a ton of bricks.

"Naru?" Nephrite asked, not realizing that the Planetary Senshi were still in earshot. 

"Naru-chan?! You're a Sailor Senshi, too?!" Sailor Moon asked, suddenly realizing that the Constellation Senshi were still there.

"Usagi-chan?! You're Sailor Moon?!" Virgo yelped back. Both Tuxedo Kamen and Nephrite shared a look of exasperation.

"Wow, girl! Welcome to the club!" Jupiter shouted, getting a laugh from the Constellation Senshi and some nervous giggles from the Inner Planetary Senshi.

"I guess this means we're friends now, ne?" Pisces asked.

"I sure hope so." Gemini said, as Aries approached the Planetary Senshi and politely dipped a bow to them.

"It is a pleasure to meet all of you and I hope we can be friends!" Aries said, as she extended a hand out to Sailor Moon. Sailor Moon gladly took the hand and shook it, accepting the move towards friendship. 

"Sailor Aries, the peacekeeper." Jade Kamen said, with a grin. Gemini just nodded in agreement and swept a hand across her face, breathing a huge sigh of relief while doing so. Nephrite chuckled at that response to stress. 

"With your permission, everyone, I would like to take Sailor Virgo out to go and get a chocolate parfait." Nephrite said. 

"By all means, do so, Neffy. We all know what a chocolate nut you are!" Zoicite said, dodging the look the guardian gave her in response to that. Virgo turned and looked at her friends, old and new. 

"Go ahead! Go for it! I wish I had a man make that kind of an offer about me! Go on! But don't forget to de-transform first!" Gemini encouraged.

"Go ahead, Naru-chan. I know how much you have missed Nephrite. Go for it!" Sailor Moon said, with an understanding smile on her face. Virgo nodded, started running in Nephrite's direction and de-transformed as she jumped into his arms. 

"Makes me wish I had a girlfriend to ask out." Tuxedo Red grumbled.

"Probably couldn't even get one if you'd tried, Red Boy." Silver Kamen said, immediately getting a flare up of temper from Tuxedo Red.

"Why you little $#%@*&^%!!!!" Tuxedo Red exploded, spitting out expletives that would have made Tasuki run and hide. 

"Oi…………..those boys……………they're hopeless." Alpha Red muttered, from the rooftop adjacent to where the other cats were sitting.

"Let's see how Tuxedo Kamen handles this situation." Ive said, as she looked down at the new kamen leader.

"SHUT UP, BOTH OF YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Tuxedo Kamen shouted, his temper suddenly revealing itself. The two kamens immediately fell silent, but Tuxedo Kamen started on a tirade that immediately made them regret even starting an argument. The Planetary Senshi were stunned by the sudden show of anger from the normally calm kamen, but they excused that as an aftereffect of suddenly being thrust into a position of leadership. When silence again came, Tuxedo Red and Silver Kamen looked thoroughly chastened and Tuxedo Kamen looked much calmer and much more at ease.

"I guess he just had to blow off that steam." Mercury said, as Tuxedo Kamen and Jade Kamen started a conversation with Jadeite, who, until then, had not said much of anything. The other senshi nodded in agreement. 

By this time, Nephrite and Naru were at Crown Parlor, enjoying a chocolate parfait. Naru felt like she was dreaming. It was too good to be true! After they had finished and Nephrite paid the bill (where he'd gotten the money, Naru had no idea, nor did she really care at that moment) they walked to the park and admired the stars. 

"The stars sure are beautiful." Naru said, with a sigh.

"Even more so, now that you are a part of them." Nephrite said, as he gently embraced her. Naru blushed. 

"Naru, is that tree still there where I last saw you?" Nephrite asked.

"Yes, it is. It hasn't changed much since you were last there. What do you plan to do there?" Naru asked, almost afraid that he was going to leave her again.

"Come along and see." Nephrite said, as he gently led her along. After a few minutes, they arrived in the shaded glen where he had last been seen alive. Putting his back against the tree for a moment, he came away from the tree with something wrapped in a silk-like cloth.

"What is that, Nephrite-sama?" Naru asked, as she gazed at the bundle.

"One of the gifts I can give you this night that will come to be of help to you in your future battles." Nephrite said, as he handed her the bundle. Naru gasped in amazement when he laid the bundle in her arms. It was surprisingly light, but felt hard and metallic under the silk. Ever so gently, Naru removed the material and gaped in astonishment at what lay in her arms. It was a beautifully crafted sword!

"Oh, Nephrite! Where did you get this?" Naru asked, as she held the intricate blade carefully by its sheath. 

"That was my sword a long, long time ago. Have you noticed the stones that are inlaid in the pommel and crosspiece?" Nephrite asked. Naru took a closer look at the mentioned parts of the sword. They were inlaid with pieces of green stone.

"That is the type of stone I am named after. Nephrite." Nephrite said, as Naru realized this and stared awestruck at him.

"But I couldn't possibly take this from you! It must be so important to you!" Naru yelped.

"It's not as important to me as you are, Naru. Besides, I want you to use that sword. Back in the time I was born in, for a man to give his prized sword to a fair lady was a sign of devotion and loyalty. That he would always love her and only her." Nephrite said, as Naru looked at him with tears in her eyes. 

"_Is he telling me that he loves me?! That he loves me and only me?! Oh, please don't let this be a dream!_" Naru thought, as she carefully slung the sword over her shoulder by its belt and embraced her beloved.

"I have but one more thing to give you, Naru. A sign of love and devotion that is more familiar to you." Nephrite said, producing a green velvet ring box from nowhere and handing it to her.

"Huh?!" Naru said, as she opened the box and stared at its contents. Inside, there sat the most beautiful diamond ring she had ever seen.

"I know that you are not of marriageable age yet, but I would rather wait for you than go with anyone else. I would really be honored if you would wait for me." Nephrite said, as he got down on bent knee before her. Naru couldn't believe what she was hearing. But the look on his face and in his eyes was real, he meant what he was saying. 

"Yes. I will marry you, Nephrite. I will wait for you. I wish I had something to give you…………Wait a minute! I do!" Naru said, as she undid the pale blue bow that was in her hair and gently tied it to the arm that had had the bandage on it almost two years before.

"Naru…………..Thank you, Naru." Nephrite said, before gently tilting her head up and kissing her. Zoicite, who had been watching from a distance what had been going on, refrained from ruining the moment. She knew better than to ruin a moment that would have otherwise been impossible any other time. 

"_Better leave those two alone. They've got a whole lot of catching up to do. I'd only get in the way._" Zoicite thought, before teleporting silently away.


	2. Part Two

Part Two

Several days have passed, since the first attacks on both earth and Elysion, and all of the new senshi and kamens were still getting used to their new roles. Kurishi sighed as she gazed absently at her schoolbooks; too distracted to even concentrate on her homework.

"My thoughts exactly, Kuri-chan." Risa muttered, as she disgustedly put the books aside, and leaned back in her chair. They now sat within their spacious house's living room, trying to get at least some of their homework done…..but every single on of them was absorbed by the fact that they were now Sailor Senshi.

"It's a lot to take in, isn't it?" Anna asked, rhetorically; getting a thoughtful nod from Kurishi as a response.

"It is. I never even dreamed that something like this would happen once we got here. It's beyond weird." Kurishi murmured; looking up when Ive padded silently into the room.

"It's almost time for the meeting, girls. Better get ready while you can." Ive said, as the girls before her nodded in agreement, and stood up.

"Are Fatsu and Cinder waiting for us somewhere else?" Jessica asked, finally breaking her own unusual silence. Ive in turn nodded.

"I'll lead you there." Ive replied, as she made her way to the door; motioning for them to follow her as she did so.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Usagi watched as Mamoru absently looked over a menu. They were now sitting in a restaurant; having decided a little while earlier that they would eat something before going to the meeting that night. Yet she couldn't help but feel concerned, when she saw how worn out he looked.

"_He looks so tired_….." Usagi thought, then asked, "Are you all right, Mamo-chan?"

"I'm fine, Usa-ko. Why do you ask?" Mamoru replied, startled by her question, yet managing to rein that in, so he could look at her from over his menu.

"You look almost like you could fall asleep at any minute. Was it a bad idea to come out to eat?" Usagi questioned, worriedly. At this, Mamoru only smiled slightly and shook his head.

"Don't worry about me, I'll be okay. It's just taking more energy than I had thought, to help train the kamens, and make sure they don't use their powers to kill one another, in the process……In some ways, it's easier said than done." Mamoru muttered, chuckling as he remembered some of the mishaps that had occurred the previous night…..and how many he truly believed were actually accidental.

"I'm sure it is…..but I can't help but worry about you, that's all." Usagi said; jumping when someone shouted her name, and felt shock when she realized who the voice belonged to.

"Odango!" the young man's voice called, as the owner of the voice jogged over to their table.

"Seiya-san! What're you doing here?!" Usagi asked, surprised when the Light walked over and had a seat across from them, with Yaten and Taiki right behind him.

"He sensed the darkness coming from this system and decided to come back to check on you, Tsukino-san. Kakyuu-hime sent us to go along with him, to make sure he wouldn't get himself killed here." Taiki muttered, as he gave Seiya an exasperated look.

"So you three also sensed Deathstrike's arrival as well?" Mamoru asked; managing to look just a tiny bit perturbed when Seiya changed seats and sat down alongside Usagi.

"Hai. In fact, Kakyuu-hime will be here in a short while, herself, to help in the fight that is to come." Yaten stated; noticing the irritated glances Mamoru was giving Seiya, and when someone else arrived on the scene, as well.

"Ne, Seiya, haven't you ever heard of the saying 'Two's company, three a crowd'?" a male voice questioned, startling all of them into looking up, and causing some relieved looks to cross the Three Light's faces at the sight of him.

"Joel Skye! So you are still alive! What a relief it is to see you again, my friend!" Seiya said, as he jumped out of the seat and greeted the bemused-looking young man with a firm handshake.

"You two know each other?" Usagi asked; surprised when she saw how much Joel looked like Mamoru.

"Yeah. We practically grew up together." Joel replied, amiably; grinning when he caught sight of Mamoru's grateful expression at having successfully gotten Seiya's attention away from Usagi (for the moment, anyway). But that relief was destined to be short-lived…..

"Are your schedules clear for tonight, Seiya-san? Yaten-san? Taiki-san?" Usagi asked. This got some befuddled looks from the trio as a response.

"Uh…..sure. What do you have in mind, Odango?" Seiya asked, in turn; inwardly smiling when he saw Mamoru's look of dismay, at this.

"We're going to be having a meeting in an old warehouse near the docks tonight. Since you guys are here, maybe you should attend as well." Usagi stated, intelligently.

"We'll try to be there, Tsukino-san. I can't really guarantee anything, at this point, since scheduling is pretty tight already." Taiki warned. Usagi nodded in understanding; remembering the way things had been the last time the trio had been on earth, when they weren't in their own senshi forms.

"Then I guess we'll see you later, if time permits." Joel said, as the two remaining Lights also stood up, and then turned to leave.

"Yeah. By the way, Joel, are you still a studio musician?" Yaten asked; confusing Usagi and Mamoru by the sudden change of subject, yet feeling a strange sense of relief, when Joel smiled and nodded.

"You think I would honestly give something like that up? Come on now! Of course I am!" Joel replied, pleasurably.

"Then come by the studio tomorrow morning at nine a.m. Be sure to be on time! The recording sessions start then!" Yaten stated, equally as pleased to see that the tragedy that had befallen Joel and the other three refugees of Eltarre hadn't affected him that much.

"I'll be there with bells, cymbals, and whistles on, my friends. Count on it!" Joel said, enthusiastically; his green eyes showing liveliness that Usagi and Mamoru hadn't been expecting to see.

"_He must really love music, to be this excited about making an album with his friends._" Usagi mused, as they watched the Three Lights leave (and as several fans caught sight of them, and started chasing them down the street). It was after they were gone, that Mamoru then turned his attention fully onto Joel.

"What brought you here? I thought you and your companions were recovering from last night." Mamoru said; watching as the Eltarrian prince grabbed a chair and had a seat.

"I got a few hours' sleep, then got up and decided to do some wandering around. Because of Max's over-protectiveness and constant badgering about staying close to the apartment before we got our powers, I haven't seen too much of Tokyo…..I haven't even seen the infamous Tokyo Tower, yet!" Joel muttered, careful to keep his voice low, since more people were starting to come into the restaurant. At this, Mamoru smirked; remembering too well just how it had been in the distant past, how maddening it had been for him then.

"I can relate." Mamoru murmured; understanding exactly what Joel had gone through.

"Feh, I'm sure you can. Yet, now that I'm a guardian as well, I guess the task of protecting me falls on me, so to speak." Joel stated, with a shrug and a good-natured (albeit, a little sad) smile.

"But you still need to remember that you're royalty, as well." Usagi said, gently.

"Yeah, I know. But I'm the prince of a dead world….and my one regret is that I couldn't save even one person from that horrible fate. Not even my own father or brothers." Joel murmured, as his grief re-emerged in his expressive green eyes.

"I'm sorry….I said that without thinking." Usagi whispered, when she'd realized what she had done, and bowed her head in shame at how callous she had sounded. Joel only shook his head, and breathed a shaky sigh.

"It's not your fault, Tsuki-hime. The death of a loved one is a very bitter pill to take….and the only water you have on hand to wash it down, are your own tears." Joel somberly replied, then reached over, gently tilted Usagi's head up so that she was looking at him, and somehow managed a sad smile, "But you're right, all the same, no matter how much it hurts to hear it."

"I just wish there were something I could do to help you, Skye-san." Usagi said; allowing sympathetic tears to well in her eyes, when she felt the sorrow in the young man's heart, as clearly as though it were her own.

"Yours' and Mamoru's friendship is enough, Tsuki-hime." Joel gently replied, then added, "The added knowledge that I'm not alone is also enough to keep me going."

"True. And, if nothing else, you have a home on earth, now. Your life is still your own to live…..Just try to live it in honor of your family's memory. Make your father and brothers smile, from wherever they are. That's what you can do now." Mamoru said, wisely; having learned this particular lesson for himself, when his own parents had died long ago. Joel nodded, then breathed a steadying breath and stood up to leave as well; renewed purpose appearing in his jade green eyes, as he did so.

"You're right. Thanks Mamo." Joel replied, grateful for the advice that had been given to him, in just those few moments, and the freedom it seemed to give his grieving heart. And it was as he was walking away (undoubtedly heading back to the apartment so he could tell Max, Jake, and Gabriel about the recording sessions the next morning) that Mamoru could only allow a tentative hope for the four refugees' future to emerge.

"_This is about all I can do, for now. I just hope I can curb the desire for revenge in the other three just as easily_….._and before it can become dangerous. I don't want their hearts to become as twisted as my guardians' hearts had been, in the past._" Mamoru somberly thought, as he remembered the first time the four had seen their hated enemy again, and how consumed by their hatred they had seemed….the thought of even that small trace of anger over their lost homeland being enough of a weakness, more than just scared him, since he knew how easily evil could slip in, unnoticed.

"_I must do all I can to prevent that from happening._" Mamoru mused, gravely; too consumed by his own worried thoughts to even feel tired, now. And that worry was shared by Usagi, as well…..

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

The warehouse echoed the voices of senshi and kamen alike, as they entered and sat down; prepared for the meeting that was about to begin. Makoto, Minako, Ami, Rei, and even Haruka, Setsuna, Hotaru, and Michiru were completely surprised to see that the Three Lights, and greeted them warmly.

"Kaioh-san! Long time, no see!" Seiya said, when he'd noticed Michiru standing there, and the honestly pleased smile she had on her own face, at seeing him and his brothers again.

"Same to you, Kou-san!" Michiru replied, quite aware of Haruka's jealousy when said senshi growled softly under her breath, and smiling coyly at the Kinmoku senshi to get even more of a reaction from her.

"Yaten-san! Taiki-san! What brings you guys back here? Is Kakyuu-hime all right?" Minako asked, concernedly, as she walked over to greet the trio as well.

"She's just fine, Aino-san, no need to worry." Yaten reassured; looking around as he spoke, and seeing that there were some new faces within the warehouse 'meeting place'.

"Looks like some new senshi have been found, since we were last here, doesn't it?" Taiki murmured, when he'd noticed the girls that were now sitting somewhat uneasily off to one side.

"Indeed. There's even some kamens here, as well." Yaten agreed; showing some surprise, when he saw Joel among them.

"If everyone will please have a seat, so the meeting can get under way." Artemis called, as the voices quieted, and all of those gathered sat down. With quiet dignity, Kunzite approached the center of the floor; crystalline blue eyes troubled as he gazed at all of the young faces before him.

"I'm sure, by now, you have all sensed, in some way or another, the enemy that has returned to this system?" Kunzite asked, getting nods from all of those gathered there.

"The sacred fire has showed quite a bit, over the last couple of days." Rei stated, grimly, as Phobos and Deimos perched on her shoulders and nodded in agreement.

"And our dreams are haunted by darkness." Max quietly added; speaking for himself and his friends as he did so.

"Recent events have also proved its' existence." Mamoru stated, from his place alongside the kamens, and the rest of his guardians (this included Elios, as well).

"And we returned to this system as well because of it." Taiki said, finishing the thought with that. At this, Kunzite's expression became even graver.

"Deathstrike, the scourge of the ancient Coalition of Aldebaran, and minion of Mettalia, has returned. We have no idea how or why, but the seal on him has been broken. He is once again free to destroy…..as Eltarre had found out, at great cost. We have no way of knowing how many more planets will suffer, if we don't stop him here." Luna said, her words causing a chill to run down everyone's spines, even though they knew what had to be done.

"Even though we have Eternal Sailor Moon, his defeat is in doubt?" Haruka questioned, unnerved by the gravity of the situation at hand.

"The awakening of the Constellation Senshi, the new Kamens, and the arrival of the Starlights should be enough proof that we're going to need all the help we can get, in the battle to come, Tenou-san." Mamoru murmured, tiredly.

"And fighting the Dark Kingdom had cost us our lives, last time." Makoto agreed; remembering how difficult it had been to win, in the battle against Beryl.

"That being said, aren't you placing a lot of faith in us? How are you even sure that we're going to be strong enough to fight?" Kurishi asked, finally breaking her silence in the presence of those gathered there.

"There's really no way of knowing how strong each of you will be, when the time comes. But one thing is certain; your strength is desperately needed." Ive said, then added, "Besides, you handled things in Elysion just fine, and you will only keep getting stronger."

"We can only hope for that much, Ive-chan." Risa muttered, before the discussion turned to who was going to take on the duty of patrolling the city, and keeping an eye out for youma and other attacks by the Dark Kingdom. Against her will, Kurishi could feel her eyelids getting heavier; the conversation starting to sound like incoherent mumbling in her tired mind.

"Wake up! What kind of senshi are you, anyway?!" a voice hissed, angrily; jolting Kurishi from half-sleep to wakefulness in no time at all.

"Well excuse the hell outta me! It's not my fault that I've spent the last two or three nights worrying about where this is taking us!" Kurishi snapped; glaring at Haruka as she said that.

"I beg to differ." Haruka snarled, in response, as she stood and stalked over to where the Constellation Senshi were sitting.

"Kurishi-chan!" Anna yelped, aghast when the Outer Senshi grabbed the front of Kurishi's t-shirt, pulled her up from her seat, and gave the younger girl a scalding glare.

"I'll give you something to worry about, Constellation Senshi, so help me I will!" Haruka snarled, threateningly; ignoring the fact that her own teammates and leader were giving her looks of shock, disbelief, and alarm at her behavior towards the new senshi.

"You start a fight with me, and I'll finish it." Kurishi replied, icily; her deep blue eyes narrowing as Haruka stiffened in response to that.

"Haruka-san! Stop it!" Usagi shouted, as she bolted off of her seat, grabbed Haruka's arm, and tried to get her to release the Constellation Senshi before a fight could break out between them.

"Put her down, you bitch!" Risa snarled, as she, Anna, and Cindi rushed to Kurishi's aid. Yet they were all startled when Mamoru stood and spoke up, as well.

"Haruka, that's enough." Mamoru said, calmly, even though his tone brooked no argument.

"Fighting amongst ourselves is exactly what our enemy wants. If we give in to the petty hatred and distrust deep within us, then who is to say if we'll even have the strength to stand against Deathstrike when the time comes?" Gabriel asked, concernedly; speaking up for the first time that evening, in their presences.

"Jade Kamen speaks the truth, Uranus. And, considering how new she still is to being a senshi, Gemini has a legitimate reason to be worried. You and the rest of the Planetary Senshi are used to this sort of thing, by now. Stop expecting the changes to happen overnight." Zoicite added, as she watched Haruka get forced into releasing Kurishi by her two angry friends, and by the commanding insistence of both Mamoru and Usagi.

"If you even try that sort of thing again, I'll fry your ass." Risa growled, as she and Anna helped steady Kurishi, and as Jessica, Cindi, and Cora began fingering their henshen pens; silently adding to the threat, for good measure. At this, Haruka said nothing else, as she angrily returned to her seat; giving Kurishi and her companions the evil eye, once she had done so.

"Gabe and Zoicite-san have a point. We can't let internal strife distract us from our mission to protect this planet from outside threat. If we do, then Deathstrike will easily kill this world and every living thing on it." Max murmured; his words causing a hush to fall over all of them. They all knew, deep down, that it was true…..and how simple it would be for their enemy to use their emotions to his advantage…..They could only hope that they would be able to overcome their distrust of one another, before it was too late.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

The following day, as they all went through the motions of living a normal life; Kurishi couldn't help but wonder just what the future held in store for her, now. With a troubled sigh, she listened as the teacher wrapped up the class for the day, and assigned them their homework for the night.

"Daijobu desu ka, Maru-san?" Usagi whispered, from across the aisle.

"Hai…..Just thinking, that's all." Kurishi replied, in kind, as she shook herself from her thoughts, and looked at the other girl. Usagi's normally bright blue eyes were clouded with worry for her and her friends; quite the opposite to how Haruka had acted, the night before.

"I'm sorry about the way Haruka-san had spoken to you…..I didn't think she would attack you like that." Usagi said, as the school bell rang, and they all stood, bowed respectfully to the teacher, and then started getting ready to leave.

"I didn't think she'd do that either…..Guess something about you rubbed her the wrong way or something." Makoto agreed, as they all began to make their way out of the classroom and into the hallway.

"Guess so. Either way, I don't care what she thinks of me, personally, as long as she doesn't do something stupid that'll get us all killed, in the long run." Kurishi stated, boldly, as she slung her backpack over her shoulder, and made her way to her locker.

"That's rather harsh." Makoto murmured. This got a shrug from Kurishi, in response.

"It's the truth of the matter, Kino-san. That much was said last night at the meeting, and then some." Kurishi said, as some of her feelings of unease returned to the forefront.

"But worrying will get us nowhere, Kuri-chan. You know that." Risa said, as she, Anna, Cindi, and Cora walked up to them.

"I know. You also know that I'm a natural born worrywart, Ri-chan." Kurishi said, with a wan smile; trying her best to put her worries aside, for the time being. Risa rolled her eyes, and sighed; she knew that only too well.

"Yeah, and you worry enough for the lot of us, when you shouldn't. You almost never listen to anyone when they say that things'll work themselves out, eventually." Risa muttered, then allowed a devil-may-care smile to cross her face, "What you should be worried about, however, is how many times those kamens will see our asses, because of those short skirts. That is what should worry you now!" At this, almost all of them turned an interesting shade of crimson, at that.

"_I'd never even considered __that__ before!_" Usagi thought, embarrassedly, as Risa laughed at their discomfiture; dreading the very idea of how many times she must have accidentally flashed poor Mamoru over the past few years as Sailor Moon.

"I'll just go back home, dig a nice big hole for myself in the backyard, and jump in it….." Kurishi muttered, her face also bright red at the thought, as she tried to salvage what was left of her dignity. Count on Risa to think of something like that!

"_It's gonna be a long time before we can confidently fight around Mamoru-sempai again!_" Makoto thought, as they all made their way out of the school, and started to go their own ways for the afternoon and evening. And yet, once night fell, they knew they would all be called together again, to fight against the new evil in some way or another. That much, at least, was a certainty.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Mamoru sighed as he tried to get some work done around his apartment. Even though his lungs had healed, and his long-dormant powers had begun to awaken, he was worn out from all that had happened in the previous nights.

"_It doesn't help matters much that I didn't sleep worth a damn after I got back from the meeting._" Mamoru thought, sourly, as Tabbi watched him from the relative safety of a nearby bookshelf. They both jumped slightly when the doorbell rang, and Mamoru rushed to answer it, before the person behind it could get impatient. He felt a little surprised, when he found Zoicite standing there, with what appeared to be a covered dish in her hands.

"What're you doing here, Zoicite?" Mamoru asked, as he stepped aside so she could come in.

"Just thought I'd check in with you and see how you're doing, that's all. You'd looked a little bit pale, last night." Zoicite stated, as she walked into the kitchen and placed the food container on the table; turning to see if she could locate a bowl, a few moments afterwards.

"Well, considering what had gone on, a few nights ago, could you blame me? Not only have you, Kunzite, Nephrite and Jadeite returned, but I also have my own team to lead, now. It's a lot to take in, all at once." Mamoru admitted, as he sat down in a chair and faced the female guardian; feeling some more surprise, when she gave him a motherly look of concern, in response to that.

"I know. Just try not to overexert yourself, okay? Let us know if it gets too overwhelming for you." Zoicite asked, gently.

"Okay, I will. Thank you for all you have done, so far. I appreciate it." Mamoru said, allowing some of his tiredness to show, as he spoke.

"It's no problem at all." Zoicite replied, warmly, as she brushed some strands of hair away from the young man's face, before returning her attention to the food she had brought over for him.

"What's for dinner?" Mamoru questioned; changing the subject before the situation could become awkward.

"Homemade soup. Granted, I'm not the best cook in the world, but at least it's the one thing I'm good at making. It should help you get some of your energy back." Zoicite said; noticing when Mamoru smirked slightly, at that.

"Odango does the same thing, on occasion, too……Her heart is in the right place, even if her cooking skills aren't quite up to the task." Mamoru admitted, shaking his head and smiling ruefully at the memories of some of Usagi's cooking mishaps in the past, and how hard she now worked to try and make it better (and more suitable for human consumption).

"That Moon Princess is a good kid, I'll give her that much. She only wants the best for you, her friends, and even the strangers she meets…..But, to be quite honest, we were all a little uneasy around her, way back when." Zoicite admitted, as she sat down across from Mamoru and gave him a thoughtful look.

"Why was that?" Mamoru asked, curiously; honestly wanting to know just what Zoicite and the rest of the Shittenou had thought of Princess Serenity, all those years ago. Zoicite in turn shrugged.

"I guess it had to do with her mother being as powerful as she was. If something had happened to Serenity-hime during one of her visits to the Golden Kingdom, a war could have broken out. We were lucky that King Thomas had had such a good head on his shoulders. He was the only one Queen Serenity would have listened to, if that had happened." Zoicite stated; remembering the events that had occurred an entire lifetime ago with crystalline clarity.

"King Thomas……Considering what Silver Kamen had told everyone that night, I guess we'll soon see if that level-headed nature had been handed down." Mamoru said, as Zoicite nodded in agreement.

"I agree. Now, I think the soup is still warm enough, so go ahead and eat. I'll be back to check in on you later." Zoicite promised, as she got up to leave.

"Thanks again for dinner, Zoicite. It's appreciated." Mamoru said, almost looking a bit lost and forlorn as the female guardian prepared to leave.

"No problem, Cape Boy. It may be our duty to protect you, but it's our choice to give our lives doing so. If you ever need us, don't hesitate to call." Zoicite murmured, as she affectionately ruffled his hair and smiled before disappearing in a flurry of sakura petals.

"_And I'm glad to know even that much._" Mamoru mused, knowing that there was a good chance that she had heard that thought, as well.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Gabriel let out a yelp, when he was suddenly bowled over by a flash of gold.

"G-gomenasai! I didn't mean to knock you down! Daijobu?!" a girl's voice asked, from on top of his chest and stomach.

"Just dandy……Thanks for asking….." Gabriel wheezed, struggling to pull some more air into his lungs, since he'd been thoroughly winded by the girl's 'tackle', "Now, can you get off of me, please? I can't breathe."

"Gomen!" the girl in turn yelped, and then quickly removed herself from on top of him and sat down on the pavement beside him.

"You sure apologize a lot…." Gabriel murmured, as he took in the girl's appearance, and noticed that she was the one that had tried to prevent the fight between Haruka and Kurishi the night before, "Odango-chan."

"Don't call me that! Only Mamo-chan is allowed to call me by that nickname!" the girl shouted, angrily, as Gabriel slowly got up and dusted himself off. At this, he arched an eyebrow.

"Do tell? Well, I can't very well leave you sitting there on the pavement, can I? Here." Gabriel said, as he offered her a hand up.

"Um…..Arigato gozaimasu….." Usagi murmured, abashedly, as she allowed him to help her up. At this, he gave her a slight smile; the kindness in his silver eyes reassuring her that she hadn't insulted him in the slightest.

"No problem at all. So, what's the big hurry? Where's the fire?" Gabriel asked, as they started walking down the sidewalk.

"I wanted to go to Mamo-chan's to make sure he's all right. He'd looked so tired, last night…..I'm worried about him." Usagi admitted; finding herself suddenly strangely at ease with the white-haired kamen, despite the fact that she didn't really know him all that well.

"He'd had us a bit concerned last night, as well. It doesn't really help matters much that we're all new with this sort of thing, and now he has to deal with Max's over-protectiveness, as well." Gabriel muttered; not really looking forward to the days and weeks to come, at all.

"'Max'?" Usagi asked, confusedly; looking up and giving him a perplexed look while she was at it.

"Max South, otherwise known as Tuxedo Red." Gabriel said, then jokingly added, when the confusion didn't leave Usagi's blue eyes, "The hothead from the other night, remember?" Usagi giggled softly and nodded.

"Hai, I remember him, now. Is Max-san really that protective?" Usagi questioned; curious about the four kamens that had come from the distant world of Eltarre, and wanting to know more. Gabriel rolled his eyes and nodded.

"You bet he is. In fact, I wouldn't be in the least bit surprised if he doesn't give himself a hernia from all the worry he puts himself through! Especially when it comes to Joel, since he's the only surviving member of the Skye Royal Family." Gabriel stated, smirking as he said that, since he could almost hear the other kamen sneeze even from where he was standing.

"He sounds a little bit like Haruka-san." Usagi murmured, thoughtfully.

"That'll be one of your senshi, right?" Gabriel asked, in turn, and got another nod from Usagi in answer to it.

"Hai. Sailor Uranus." Usagi said, as Gabriel nodded in understanding.

"So that is the senshi who'd wanted to take Gemini's head off last night! Sheesh! Talk about short fuse! You might want to have a word with her about that, Odango-chan." Gabriel muttered; remembering only too well what had almost happened the previous night.

"I think I will. I don't want to fight against any more senshi." Usagi murmured, quietly; as she recalled the painful memories of her battles against the Anima-Mates and Galaxia, and how much worse it could have been…..and how much she didn't want to see history repeat itself.

"I think I know what you're talking about, Odango-chan, and yeah, I don't want to see battles like that, either. We need to work together to defeat Deathstrike…..Not kill one another because of mistrust and misplaced hate. The Sailor Wars and the mad reign of terror that the kamen known as Tuxedo Death had left in his wake are long over, and should never be allowed to begin again." Gabriel said, softly, as they approached the doors of the apartment complex Mamoru lived in; remembering too clearly the bloodshed that had come to his homeworld, and wanting to avoid seeing such a nightmarish sight again.

"I agree." Usagi murmured, as she allowed him to escort her as far as the floor Mamoru lived on.

"By the way, Odango-chan, I have a favor to ask of you." Gabriel said, getting a questioning glance from her in response to that.

"Nani? What can I do for you, Inouki-sempai?" Usagi asked, confusedly.

"I think Mamo had forgotten to tell us where he wants to meet us tonight. Think you can find out?" Gabriel asked.

"I'm pretty sure I can find out. But wouldn't it be easier to just call him yourself?" Usagi again questioned. At this, she got what could only be an embarrassed look from the silver-eyed kamen.

"Max tripped the breaker in our apartment again, so our phone doesn't work. And using our wrist comms for such a thing isn't a good idea, either." Gabriel said, as he sighed in exasperation at his friend's bullheadedness. At this, Usagi couldn't help but smile at the man who stood before her. While it was true that he and his companions were still pretty much strangers to her, she couldn't help but like the two she had met, so far.

"_They're no different from the boys in my class at school_….." Usagi thought, then said, "I'll find out for you, and let Mamo-chan know what had happened, in the meantime, okay?"

"Thanks, Odango-chan. I appreciate this." Gabriel said, with a grin of his own, before he hurried off down the hall; intent on getting home before he could catch any flack from his roommates about being out for so long.

"It's no problem at all, Inouki-san." Usagi heard herself murmur; glad that she could help him, in some small way.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Dark Kingdom

Deathstrike snarled as he glared at his prisoner. The king of Eltarre was hanging limp from the manacles; his spirit having escaped, while he had been preoccupied with his attack on Elysion.

"_Damn him. He's escaped to the dream realm_….._and is under the protection of the Earth Prince now_…." Deathstrike inwardly snarled, as he angrily turned to his subordinate. Parilite stood numbly off to one side; having been 'punished' for her earlier failure to destroy the fledgling senshi and kamens. She hardly had the courage to look up, when Deathstrike spoke to her again, and even cringed when he looked her way.

"Parilite, I want you to launch another attack." Deathstrike growled; his tone hinting at the dire consequences she faced if she failed again.

"It will be as you command it, Deathstrike-sama." Parilite replied, before abruptly disappearing from the throne room; leaving her seething master behind as quickly as she could.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Earth

Tuxedo Kamen sighed, as he waited for his team to arrive. So much had changed for him, in such a short amount of time. He was a leader now, and he had his own team to worry about. It also didn't help matters much, that he was just as uncertain about his own powers, as he was about the other kamens'.

"_It seems that Sailor Moon will have to depend on her own strength for a while_….._At least until I'm sure of what we're capable of._" Tuxedo Kamen mused; listening with some amusement as the sounds of bickering between Tuxedo Red and Silver Kamen came to his ears.

"Greetings, Endymion-sama. I hope we haven't kept you waiting overlong." Tuxedo Gold murmured; his formal way of speaking once again taking Tuxedo Kamen off guard.

"I haven't been waiting long, since I've just gotten here myself….You don't have to keep calling me that, you know." Tuxedo Kamen stated, then gave the two arguing kamens an unreadable glance that stilled their current disagreement effectively. At this, Tuxedo Gold gave him an abashed look.

"I know, it's just a hard habit to break. Especially since it doesn't seem, to me anyway, that it has been all that long ago since that had been your true name." Tuxedo Gold responded, with a smile, as he watched the royal Guardians arrive, and listened as they greeted one another.

"You boys ready for your next training session?" Zoicite asked, as she jokingly cracked her knuckles and approached them. In mock fear, the four Eltarrian kamens cowered away from her and hid behind Tuxedo Kamen and Tuxedo Gold.

"Oh no! Anything but that! Please! Have mercy!" Jade Kamen pleaded; getting some much-needed laughter from the other three Guardians and their leader, as he got down on his hands and knees and 'groveled' at the feet of the female Guardian; the gleam in his eyes proving that he was making light of the situation.

"He has you pegged, Zoicite; that much even you can't deny." Nephrite chortled; laughing softly when he got what could only be a dirty look from her, for that comment.

"Well, we might as well get started, then, before another war breaks out." Tuxedo Kamen said, then added, once he'd gotten their attention again, "Silver Kamen, Jade Kamen, you two are with me and we're going to be patrolling the eastern part of the city. Tuxedo Red, Blue, you're with Gold. Cover the west as best as you can. Zoicite, Kunzite, your sector tonight is the northern one, while Jadeite and Nephrite cover the south. As far as I know, most of the senshi are on patrol tonight, as well, so we'll meet in the park in a few hours. If you run into any trouble, don't try to handle it on your own. Call for help on your wrist-comms."

"You do the same, Tux. Keep in touch and let us know if you need any help." Tuxedo Red said in response, as he, Tuxedo Blue and Tuxedo Gold took off in their assigned direction.

"Yes. Keep safe, your Highness." Jadeite murmured; finally breaking his long silence, before he and Nephrite also disappeared into the darkness. Before long, only Tuxedo Kamen and his two chosen comrades stood on the rooftop.

"Let's get going, then." Tuxedo Kamen said, quietly, and, within moments, they were on their way; not realizing that another drastic change was heading their way…..

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

His escape had been very narrow, indeed. With darkness and intense pain threatening to overcome him, the masked man had toppled from a wormhole, and found himself in what appeared to be, at first glance, a forest clearing. Blood leaked from the corners of his mouth, and from a number of very deep wounds on his chest, abdomen, back, and shoulders; leaving ugly smears on the grass where he had landed.

"_Have I_….._made it?_" the masked man wondered, foggily, as he slowly forced himself to stand back up; biting back his groans of pain as he did so. He'd been attacked so suddenly…..and yet, had reacted quickly enough to save his own life by teleporting…..Even though he sincerely doubted he'd been able to shake his pursuers completely off of his trail.

"_I must find_……._Serenity-hime_….._or the Earth Prince she had fallen in love with_….._They __must__ be told_….._of what is going on!_" the wounded kamen thought, as he started stumbling in the direction he felt the Moon Princess to be in; hazy memories of the attack floating freely back into his mind, despite the numbing pain.

"_I_….._I must get help_……_C-can't fight it_…._alone_…." the kamen thought, hazily, as he struggled to keep his feet under him, and not lose his balance. And yet, before he could get very far, the sounds of fighting reached his ears; his body reacting automatically, pushing the pain aside as he rushed in that direction. Ignoring the signals his body was giving him that he was overtaxing himself, he summoned what appeared to be a specially-made sword to his hand, and prepared to fire off his sure-kill; hoping that whoever was now fighting would be able to hold on for just a little bit longer.

"_Hang on_….._Please hang on_….._I'm coming_…." The kamen thought; gritting his teeth as each step sent stabs of pain searing through him.

"_I will __not__ be too late, this time! Never again!_" the kamen silently swore, as he pushed his body to its' limits; determined to not see the past repeat itself again. Not while he yet lived.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

It had been a fairly quiet night, up until this point. Gemini cursed her rotten luck, as she leaped to avoid the just-emerged youma's attacks.

"_Shit. This is what I get for coming here early! Next time, I'm gonna make sure I'm __late__ for a meeting!_" Sailor Gemini thought, irritably, as she fired off another couple of arrows, and then tried to get through to her friends on her communicator.

"Solar! Pisces! Virgo! Aries! Auriga! Vega! I'm in trouble here! Get your asses over here, there's a youma in the park!" Gemini shouted, as she desperately struggled to avoid another swipe of the monster's claws.

"We're on our way, Gemmi! Hang tight!" Solar's voice replied; her voice sounding tinny, over the wrist comm, yet Gemini could hear the worry in her friend's tone for her safety.

"I'll try!" Gemini said, as she tried to stay calm, as she fought.

"What do you think, Sailor Senshi? How do you like this stronger monster? Not quite the 'walk in the park' you had expected, is it?" a female voice sneered, from overhead; startling Gemini into looking up at the speaker. To the senshi's surprise, there was now what appeared to be a pink-haired woman sitting in the tree across from her.

"Who're you?" Gemini asked, tensely, as she tried to keep her attention on the monster and the woman at the same time.

"I am known as Parilite of the Dark Kingdom, servant of Lord Deathstrike." The woman replied, coolly; smirking when Gemini was forced to return her full attention to the beast in front of her.

"Gemini!" a few voices shouted, as their owners arrived on the scene.

"Eternal Sailor Moon! Mercury! Venus! Talk about perfect timing!" Gemini gasped, in relief, as the three Planetary Senshi took up defensive positions on either side of her.

"I'm glad we got here in time! Are you hurt, Gemini-san?" Mercury asked, concernedly, when she'd seen how disheveled Gemini now looked.

"No worse than usual, Mercury. But so far, I haven't been able to even put a dent in this damn thing! It's almost like it's armor plated, or something!" Gemini replied, breathlessly; becoming unnerved when she saw that the woman in control of the youma was still nonplused, even though the strongest of the senshi was standing before her.

"Just because you have some help, doesn't mean you'll get out of this battle alive!" Parilite snarled, then looked down the beast, "ATTACK!!" At her command, the youma moved swiftly forward; forcing the four senshi to split up.

"Celestial Sniper!" Gemini shouted, as she leaped aside and fired another arrow at it; desperately hoping to slow its' advance.

"Shine Aqua Illusion!" Mercury cried; trying to combine her attack with Gemini's…..only to end up getting brutally beaten back along with the Constellation Senshi for their efforts.

"Mercury! Gemini!!" Sailor Moon yelped, as she and Venus dashed to their sides; fearing for their lives, when they saw fresh blood on the pavement.

"D-don't worry about us! Keep your eyes on that thing!" Gemini gasped, as she struggled to keep a strong grip on her bow, since her left arm had been slashed by the beast's claws. With reluctant nods, Venus and Sailor Moon could only agree; destroying the monster before it could get away and hurt anyone else was the top priority, at the moment….as much as they both hated to admit it.

"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!" Venus shouted, angrily; her attack actually managing to stun the monster, and giving Mercury and Gemini enough time to move to better positions, as well.

"Don't even think that that will save you!" Parilite howled, as she dove into the battle, as well; baring what appeared to be a crystalline sword, while she was at it.

"_Sailor_……_Senshi_….." a voice gasped, in the backs of their minds.

"_Huh?!_" the four silently yelped; freezing in response to that; whose voice had that been, just now?!

"_W-when I_….._give the signal_…._split up as quickly as you can_….._from one another._" The voice said, again; the weakness and pain in his tone now very evident to the quartet, then.

"_You sure you can even fight? You sound like you've been hurt._" Gemini responded, concernedly.

"_Don't worry_…._I'll manage, somehow._" The voice struggled to say, reassuringly.

"_Okay_….._We'll try to trust you._" Venus said, before they all returned their full attention to the confrontation before them. The silent conversation had only taken just a few seconds, yet they knew that the timing was going to be difficult, at best, since both youma and woman were now attacking them.

"Now!" the same voice cried, moments later, when both enemies were close enough to one another that whatever blow he was going to use against them would hit both. With strong leaps, the four senshi separated; leaving the unsuspecting dark servant and her monster alone in the center of the clearing.

"Moonbeam Slash!" the voice shouted, strongly, as a wave of what appeared to be concentrated moonlight roared towards the pair.

"NO!!" Parilite screamed, before the powerful sure-kill tore into her and the monster; forcing her to teleport away at the last moment, and as the youma was torn completely apart by it, shortly afterwards.

"Whoa….." Gemini muttered, as she beheld what was happening right before her eyes.

"Couldn't have said it better myself….." Venus wholeheartedly agreed, from a position just opposite her. Even though she had been a senshi even longer than Sailor Moon had, she had never seen that much power from one person (aside from Galaxia, of course).

"I don't think that was the end of that 'Parilite' woman, though. She'll probably be back for another battle, later on." Mercury intelligently said, even though she sounded like she honestly wanted to believe that the sure-kill had finished off the dark servant, as well.

"Unfortunately, you could be right about that. You all right over there, Mercury?" Gemini asked.

"Just a bump on the head. Your injury is even worse than mine, though." Mercury replied, as she remembered the ugly gash on the other senshi's arm. With a wince, Gemini looked down at her left arm; blood was flowing freely from the deep wound, and she knew without even asking that it would take stitches to help it heal, now.

"_And I don't think Sailor Moon will take too kindly my asking Tuxedo Kamen to heal it, this time around._" Gemini mused, sourly; not looking forward to the imminent hospital visit, as she and the three Planetary Senshi regrouped, and waited for their mysterious benefactor to appear before them.

"Itai…..This looks really bad, Sailor Gemini. Maybe we should go ahead and take you to the hospital to get that looked at." Sailor Moon murmured, as she gently got a closer look at the injury; seeming to have read Gemini's mind, and knowing that she didn't like the idea, at all.

"I'd rather not." Gemini muttered, in response.

"Then….let me see….the wound." The male voice they had heard before said, as its' owner emerged from the shadows. All four of the senshi standing there were horrified by the condition the man was in; deep wounds glistened sickeningly in the moonlight, from their places on his body. But what shocked them the most, was the fact that the stranger was wearing a modified tuxedo and an ornate mask!

"You shouldn't even consider it! You're in bad enough shape as it is! Helping me will only make your situation even worse!" Gemini shouted, as she stood up straighter and held her injured arm even tighter against her, in an unconscious effort to stem the bleeding. At this, the kamen only gave them a pained smile, and shook his head.

"You needn't worry…." The strange kamen murmured, as he slowly reached out, gently took the wounded senshi's arm into his hands, and focused his powers on it. Within moments, the bleeding had stopped, and the torn flesh had closed; leaving only a jagged scar and the ripped edge of the bloodstained glove to prove that there had even been a wound at all.

"Amazing…." Gemini muttered, as she experimentally flexed her arm, and was pleased to find that there wasn't even any residual pain in it.

"Gemmi! Are you all right?!" Solar's voice yelped, as she raced over to her, with Pisces, Auriga, Vega, and Virgo right behind her; all of them showing the same amount of worry, and then fear for her, when they saw the bloodstains on Gemini's shredded glove and down the side of her senshi uniform.

"I'm okay now, thanks to this guy." Gemini said, as she motioned to the white-cloaked kamen with a wave of her hand and a worried look in his direction. And it didn't take Solar and the rest long to figure out why.

"Damn! What the hell happened to you?! You look like you've had the shit beaten out of you!" Solar nearly shouted, when she'd seen how haggard the kamen looked.

"Long story……and one I don't think I have much time left to tell……" the kamen whispered, weakly; wavering even as he stood there, yet allowing himself some surprise, when Gemini slung one of his arms over her shoulders in an effort to support him, then gave him a stern look in response to that.

"Don't talk that way. We'll help you get through this, so don't give up! Don't you dare give up!" Gemini said, strongly; her tone of voice not only surprising the kamen, but also herself, also.

"Who are you, sir? Where did you come from?" Mercury asked; voicing the questions that were now on all of their minds.

"I…..I am….Tsukikage no Knight…..I was the Guardian of the Silver Millennium, one thousand years ago…..and I have awakened…..because an ancient evil has returned…..One that you will need…..all the aid you can gather…..in order to defeat him……" the kamen managed, from between gasps; his voice fading, as his strength left him.

"Hyourin no Yotogi…..You're the true Tsukikage no Knight….." Venus murmured, as the ancient memories returned to her, of the lone, solitary knight that had watched over the Moon Kingdom so long ago. The kamen nodded, vaguely, in response to his old title.

"The 'true' Tsukikage no Knight? But I was led to believe that he was a shadow of Tuxedo Kamen-sama's desire to protect us, when Ail and Ann had been attacking….." Sailor Moon said, confusedly; barely able to understand just what was going on before her. This bedraggled kamen actually shared the title Endymion's 'soul' had taken on, all that time before? How was that possible?

"It is who I am…..Serenity-hime….." the kamen managed, as he slowly sunk to his knees; causing genuine alarm to appear on Gemini's face, and as the rest of the Constellation Senshi rushed forward to try and help keep him from slipping from her grasp, and landing face-first on the ground. Without another word, Sailor Moon then kneeled before him, reached up, and gently removed his mask; her eyes widening in shock, when she beheld the face behind it.

"Mamoru-san?!" Gemini yelped, before anyone else could gather their wits to say a single word.

"No…..Nor am I…..Prince Endymion…..If you must…..call me by a name…..then call me this…..Yuuyami Kumori…..An abandoned child of the Earth Royal Family…..and adopted son of the Queen of the Moon….." the kamen stubbornly said, before consciousness left him; leaving the senshi with more questions than answers…..

"_Just what in the world happened to him? And why is there such bitterness towards Mamoru-san and the late Golden Kingdom? It just doesn't make sense!_" Gemini mused, as she listened for the arrival of the rest of the senshi and the kamens; knowing without even needing to ask, that the battle ahead was bound to be harder than the one that had just been wrapped up. Much harder.

_**Author's Note!**_

_**After a long hiatus, here's the second part of my Sailor Moon story! I hope this wasn't a boring read, and that I have a few more surprises in store for you all! Thanks for reading!**_

_**Gemini14**_


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